From Ballet to College Volleyball: Caroline "Gray" Malias
- Isabella Arjomand
- Feb 4, 2018
- 3 min read
NEW HAVEN, Conn. -- Most children athletes' dream is to at least make it to the college leagues. Not only do so many athletes either burn out or quit due to injuries, but also making it to the college leagues is no easy feat.
Caroline "Gray" Malias is a middle-blocker at Yale University who can testify to the previous statement. Her journey was and still is full of hardships, successes and discoveries. It is one she continues to learn from every day.
Twenty-one years ago, Malias was born in Fort Meyers, Fla., on Oct. 26, 1996. She grew up in Merritt Island and had an incredibly active childhood.
"I started with ballet at the age of five, and then played pretty much every sport from then on," Malias said.
After establishing a mini-career in just about every sport, Malias finally found the one. She began playing volleyball at the age of 13 and loved it. But it wasn't until she moved to Winter Park, Fla., that she became the high school freshman player to watch in Central Florida.
During her high school volleyball career, Malias won two back-to-back state championships with her Bishop Moore Catholic Volleyball team. Malias said these were her favorite volleyball memories.
"It's kind of sad it's been a while. I think winning states was the culmination of a team effort unlike anything else I've been a part of. My age played into it because it was the first time I'd won anything like that," Malias said. "In terms of maturity, I think it presented an opportunity to step outside of my comfort level. It was an opportunity to grow and mature. To see it follow through was awesome."
But with success comes struggle, and for Malias, being an athlete in high school and college proved difficult when it came to time management. She felt it was hard to balance friends, a social life, and sports.
In college, Malias would say it is primarily very fun to be an athlete. Although sometimes the decision to continue this draining but rewarding experience can be hard for her.
"The only time I wish I wasn't a college athlete is when it comes to social reasons because we have very strict going out rules. I think it was more so a trade off now than it was in high school," Malias said. "There is a whole other element playing in college versus high school. The coaches livelihood depends on how we perform."
Malias feels fortunate to be a part of the Yale community because through her college career, many doors have opened in terms of getting to meet people.
Although she doesn't see herself pursing volleyball after graduation, the sport will always be something she cherishes and enjoys with friends. That being said, sports will never not be in Malias's life as she hopes to build a career in the sports industry.
"Last summer, I participated in a sports business internship program called, The Manhattan Sports Business Academy. It was super cool to get to work with and speak to business professionals across the entire industry," Malias said.
Malias will carry all of the lessons she's learned from this incredible sport, such as time management, discipline and how to work within a team for the rest of her life.
After asking Malias if there is something she would like people to know about her, she said, "I value hard work and integrity probably above all else and I think that has a lot to do with the role that sports have played in my life."
Check out this link for footage on Malias and her Yale teammates beat Princeton!
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