GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — Get to know outside hitter Symone Abbott in the eighth edition of our “Offseason Conversation” series with the Grand Rapids Rise. Abbott talks about currently playing professional volleyball in Greece with Aris Thessaloniki, returning to the Rise for a second season, insights of becoming a seasoned veteran, and much more.
To start things off, how is everything going for you over in Greece?
It’s going really well. I’m learning more about the game every day and getting a lot of in-game reps, which is the reason why I wanted to come here. I think the added pressure of playing in games is something I wouldn’t be able to get in practice if I had just stayed at home. So, yeah, I wanted more in-game reps and that pressure. I wanted to go to a team and carry the load offensively to get back in that rhythm and then bring that experience back to Grand Rapids.
A lot of Pro Volleyball Federation players switched teams over the offseason. Why did you decide to re-sign with the Rise for a second season?
Two reasons: One, I feel like I didn’t do everything that I wanted to do last season for the team. I feel like I have a lot more to give. [My time in Grand Rapids] didn’t feel finished for me. And two, [Rise head coach] Cathy George. I trust her and she sees the potential in me, even though it’s not always insanely obvious. She sees beneath the surface and is willing to invest in me as a player.
With so many roster changes, how does it feel for a seasoned pro like yourself when facing off against former teammates? What is that experience like?
It doesn’t affect me too much. If anything, it just helps because I know them, and I know how they play. So, it helps for scouting purposes. But whether I know somebody on the other team or not, it doesn’t affect the way I go into a match.
As a Michigan native and former Big Ten volleyball player at Northwestern, what are your thoughts on all the new Midwest teammates you’ll have in Grand Rapids this upcoming season?
Yeah, it’s great! It’s a lot of girls that I grew up playing club with or against. I trust Cathy’s judgment on choosing players because she always picks players who have good hearts and are hard workers. So, I’m excited.
If you could bottle up one thing that the 2024 Rise team did well and carry that over into this upcoming season, what would it be?
Hmm… I think we were very professional. We came out and did our jobs the majority of the time. There were times where we struggled, but we always had this level of professionalism and dependability [as a baseline]. I think that’s super important when you’re trying to compete and win. You need to have this certain level that you are always at, and you can always go above that. But we had this competitive standard that we set.
What’s a telling sign that Symone Abbott is having a good match?
If I get the first kill on my first ball, or the first pass is great, or the first serve is an ace, then I think it will be a really good match. When I come out and start strong, that puts me in the right mode of everything and it’s just easy to keep carrying on.
Entering your eighth professional season, what lessons have you learned that have significantly shaped your approach to the game?
I keep learning new things every day. It literally feels like I never stop learning, which is annoying. But that’s just how it always is. So, even though it’s been eight years, it rarely feels like it’s been eight years because every year I feel like a new student again. But I’m always finding new ways to do things throughout my life and in the game of volleyball. The thing that I have learned the most is how to replicate positive actions over and over and over again. Also, having the tools to make good things happen and have more control over my actions and touches. So, just having more control of my game and being able to replicate good things on command.
How difficult is it to have and keep that consistency?
Extremely difficult. A lot of the time the game isn’t in your hands, and it’s based on a lot of other factors. It’s a game of errors. Like in basketball, you can miss a shot, but you don’t lose a point to your opponent. Whereas in volleyball, if you miss something, it’s a point for the other team. Volleyball is a high-stakes game and it’s difficult to have that control. But I think that’s what time will give you if you stick with the sport. You will be able to slowly have more and more control over what happens.
Off the court, you have a Tik Tok dedicated to your outfits. Where does your passion for fashion and style come from?
I love putting on a great outfit and feeling pretty and confident. That brings me a lot of joy. I’ve been working on and trying to find other things outside volleyball that really make me happy. I have always liked getting dressed, but never took photos or videos of it. But, once I started doing it, I just saw how excited I got when editing the video and posting it. So, I was like, ‘Yeah, I should keep doing this because it makes me happy.’
Lastly, in your opinion, what’s the most satisfying way to win a match point?
Are we serving or receiving?
Either one, whatever is the most satisfying.
Umm… Honestly, any way. I don’t really care what it is, as long as we score the point.
Photo by Nicolas Carrilo/Rise