Walking down the halls of Walter Johnson High School, senior Francesco Sani towers over his peers at 6 feet 8 inches tall, but when playing volleyball, his height helps him to dominate the court.
Volleyball wasn’t new to Sani, as his mother played professionally in France for four years after she got an athletic scholarship to Duke University. After listening to his mom reminisce about the sport for so long, when he went to middle school, he decided to give the sport a go.
“I decided to start playing volleyball because my mom encouraged me to try it out, and me and my friends at school were interested,” Sani said.
Not only has Sani excelled on his high school team, but he also plays for the US Youth National Team.
“The experience I had on the youth team was unbelievable. The level of play was incredible, and playing against other countries alongside my teammates and coaches were [sic] very exciting,” Sani said.
While Sani is loving his experience currently playing for the US Youth National Team, he knew that it wouldn’t be as easy as playing for his high school team and that he would have to put in a lot more effort.
“The difference was huge as boys volleyball in Maryland is not very popular, so the level is not as competitive as in other regions,” Sani said. “The national team, on the other hand, had the best players in the country, and the style of play was a lot different, specifically faster and more chaotic.”
Since Sani would be playing for both the US Youth National Team and his high school team, he realized he would have to put all of his efforts towards perfecting the sport. Besides just practicing the sport by itself, Sani has taken to other tactics to build his strength and make him even more of a powerhouse and leader on the court.
“I have been playing since sixth grade, and in recent years I have been lifting weights alongside with club and high school seasons,” Sani said.
Sani’s knowledge of the sport and leadership skills don’t go unnoticed by teammates.
“Cesco [Sani] does play a huge leadership role on our team because he knows how to win and the most about volleyball technique, so he offers advice to each player after almost every point,” teammate senior Brady Meyers said.
Sani’s great volleyball skills and the amount of work that he puts into the team not only make him a better player but also make the whole team stronger.
“Everyone on the team is inspired by him,” Meyers said. “He’s a great example to follow in practices as well as in games!”
Sani’s talents caught the attention of multiple scouts from schools containing some of the top volleyball programs in the country, such as Penn State, Ohio State, and UCLA. While Sani plans to play in college, he also has big career plans.
“I have signed with the University Of California, Irvine, and I’ll be playing with them in the future. After that, the goal is to further my career with the national team and hopefully go pro,” Sani said.
Article by Megan Harrington of Richard Montgomery High School
Photo Courtesy of Francesco Sani