Oregon Public Broadcasting

Hermiston’s Crystal Schmidt remembers the time she first gave volleyball a try. She was in middle school, and her and some friends wanted to give it a go.

“I wanted to try something new,” Schmidt said. “I thought I could really go for that since I wasn’t really into soccer.”

Schmidt’s willingness to give it a shot parlayed itself into awards and distinctions, while putting smiles on many fans’ faces. 

After a remarkable season, one with her second Columbia River Conference player of the year honor and a trip to the Class 5A state tournament, Schmidt received a first-team selection to the Class 5A all-state volleyball team.

What makes this selection all the more impressive is that she doesn’t play volleyball with an elite club in the high school offseason like nearly all other all-state players. In fact, she doesn’t even consider herself a volleyball-first kind of athlete.

“I’d desribed myself more of a track athlete first,” she said. “I think I made the team because of my heart and how good my teammates made me look.”

While modesty is one of her many qualities, Schimdt put up some staggering numbers at the Class 5A level this season.

She tormented opponents with her powerful right-handed attack, and perhaps made them fear for their safety with the violence and ferocity she delivered it with.

She notched 321 kills and put together a .316 hitting percentage while recording nearly half the team’s blocks with 98. She averaged 4.2 kills per set and 1.3 blocks per set.

Even with two CRC player of the year awards and two all-state selections — she made the second team last year — she feels her future is on a track and wants to make sure she’s able to pursue that when she moves on to college.

She had to make one of the toughest choices of her high school career and forego playing basketball in order to strengthen an injured back that kept her on the sidelines from mid-winter until the end of the school year last year.

“It’s extremely tough sitting out of basketball,” Schmidt said. “It’s where I met all of my friends. The basketball team is what really got me going.”

But her self-awareness and fortitude took over and, while it’s rough for her, she knows she’s got to make up for a lost year and really wants to be a collegiate track athlete.

On the track, she displays her abilities in the high jump, long jump, triple jump and javelin. The funny thing about her love for track and field is that it happened later in life than when she started up volleyball and basketball.

“I fell in love with track my freshman year,” she said. “It’s my favorite sport; I love it.”

Schmidt is one of those rare athletes that not only has the physical tools that translate to success at a level beyond high school, but she also has the mental portion under control as well. While her teammates jokingly give her a hard time about being so emotional, she often cried after matches because she was so happy her team played well, she understands that being an emotional leader for her team is important and she embraced the role.

“It was fun for me,” she said. “I felt I had to be that type of player.”

Schimdt’s eyes are fixed on getting prepared for the track now, and she’s not only looking to boost her college stock and chance at a potential scholarship, but she’s taking more of a mature look at the extra time to prepare.

“I really just want to make myself a better person, as well as an athlete,” she said.

Read more on hermistonherald.com.