Skye Battino (VI) is not a Division 1 commit by chance – her years upon years of hard work and dedication have led her to immense success. Battino’s volleyball career began in fourth grade at weekly Saturday clinics. At age 11, she began competing with NYC Juniors Volleyball Club, and this year marks her eighth season. As a seventh grader, she competed for Calhoun School’s JV team. In eighth, ninth and tenth grades she competed for Calhoun School’s varsity team. She also did track and field throughout her underclassman years. In eleventh grade, she transferred to Fieldston in order to experience bigger class sizes with a wider variety of classes and ultimately to play for Fieldston’s high-level varsity volleyball team. This fall, Battino was a co-captain of the team and led both on and off the court with her talent and leadership.
During her junior year, Battino played for NYC Juniors 17 National, a team that finished their season ranked 168 out of 2,854 teams in the USAV 17s age division. This team placed first in the GEVA (New Jersey and New York) region out of 112 teams, only losing one regional game throughout the entire season. Battino has found some of her best friends and has gained many life skills through the sport.
Battino began creating and posting highlight videos in eighth grade and emailing colleges during late freshman year. Throughout Battino’s volleyball career she visited a great deal of prestigious schools to play at their camps and attend their recruiting showcases. She found Bucknell from playing at said college camps. Her decision to play for Bucknell was partially influenced by a coach and teammate playing for Bucknell. Bucknell has both a Division 1 volleyball program and rigorous academics. She chose Bucknell because it was the perfect balance for culture, community, education and athletics.
When asked what advice she would give underclassmen, she said, “I would tell underclassmen athletes to stay patient and dedicated. You will receive many rejection emails along the way, and while they are difficult to get, it’s just redirection and truly a part of the process. Stay very open-minded throughout your recruiting journey because every program has so much to offer and it’s important to see for yourself firsthand. Stay determined and work on all aspects of your game and being a student-athlete: training, rehab, studying, etc. Remember that everyone’s process looks very different and that the right school is out there for you.”
