Sport: Volleyball
Year: Senior
School: Francis Lewis
Highlights: Dortch led Francis Lewis to their first city championship since 2003 and third in seven years recently, leading them past borough rival Cardozo with 20 assists. She was the focal point, compiling over 1,300 assists, a school record, in four years as a starter at the Fresh Meadows school.
Personal: Dortch would like to go into athletic training or sports management. Whenever she attended volleyball tournaments which is quite often, considering her time with the Patriots and the club team Creole Big Apple she would sit by the trainer to “see what they do, how they wrap up. I like it. I’m good at it. I’d be happy doing it.”
Dortch, a Little Neck resident, is also intrigued by sports oncology and would like to work in a healthy center or even study sports psychology. With an 86 average and 1650 out of 24000 on her SATs, Dortch is a solid student. She never had the problems other high school athletes have of keeping up with their studies in-season.
“I always knew how to balance out sports and schoolwork,” she said. “I’ll go to practice, do my homework in between games, bring it to tournaments. It’s challenging. But I know it’s going to help me when I go to college.”
Notable: Dortch is still weighing her options for college. She is interested in Quinnipiac, Adelphi, Southern Connecticut State, UConn and Binghamton. The decision will come down to which best fits her academically i.e., does the school have the desired major and athletically, of course. “If I go anywhere,” she said, “I’m playing volleyball.”
Dortch first got into the sport at the age of 12 when she played club at her elementary school, Middle School 67. She quickly joined Creole Big Apple, where she has remained ever since. It is taxing, playing both club and high school in addition to schoolwork and a social life.
“Every year I said I don’t want to go, I’m tired, but I go,” she said. “It helps me. If you want to play in college, you have to play club.”
