Out of 652 nominations, Yossiana Pressley, a senior at Cypress Falls High School, was selected for the Under Armour All-American First Team making her a top 24 player in the nation.

“It’s a blessing,” Pressley said. “I didn’t think they would choose me.”

Pressley is the only player from the district to be chosen for the volleyball team, but she does not take that for granted. Her team and her aunt have helped prepare her for this moment.

“They’ve helped me grow mentally as a leader,” Pressley said about her team. “ I’ve learned how to have patience.”

Pressley’s aunt, a volleyball coach, has been giving her advice and tips since she was 15 and occasionally will work with her one on one with any particular skills Pressley may want help with.

“She has gotten me where I am today,” Pressley said about her aunt’s influence on her.

These skills will help Pressley as she competes in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division 1 Final Four game in Columbus, Ohio on December 16.

A nomination alone is a huge honor. Coaches of the players must be a part of the American Volleyball Coaches Association, upload stats on the player they want to nominate to MaxPreps, and then go online and nominate them. They are then chosen for either First Team, Second Team, Third Team, or Honorable Mention.

“When I first started playing, I wasn’t that good,” Pressley said. “Then in eighth grade, something changed, like a light bulb.”

Volleyball has been a part of Pressley’s life for so long and her family has been there to support her.

“They were so excited,” Pressley said about her family when they found out, not only about her being selected, but also being the only player chosen in CFISD.

Pressley will continue playing volleyball in college at Baylor University.

“I’m going as far as God takes me,” Pressley said about any future volleyball plans.