Ethiopia Trip Has Major Effect on UK Volleyball's Paris
Prior to the summer of 2019, Kendyl Paris had only been out of the United States once. As luck would have it, Paris would make not one, but two international trips over the summer, each one making a different kind of impact on her.
In May, Paris travelled to Brazil with the UK volleyball team on a tour that included hiking and visits to the beach in addition to volleyball.
“It was amazing, it was the first time I had been out of the country, other than Aruba, but this was totally different,” Paris said. “It was really cool and really eye-opening. I was so glad that I got to do it with the girls and the coaches on this team. They did a really good job of balancing playing and practices with free time and leisure time.”
And while that trip left a big impression on Paris, it was her second international trip of the summer that had a huge impact on her. Paris was part of a group of UK student-athletes who went to Ethiopia on a mission trip, a journey that changed Paris in a number of ways.
“That experience was even more rewarding and even more amazing,” Paris said. “I think going to Brazil first opened my eyes. You see that there’s poverty there, but when I went to Ethiopia, it was one step further.”
Paris especially enjoyed spending time with the Ethiopian children.
“We did a lot of service with kids and feeding kids, spending time with them,” Paris said. “Just the hope and the love that they had for everything, despite the horrible situations they were living in, really puts things in perspective. When you come back here and you’re having a hard practice or doing want to go to class the next day, you just consider the amazing opportunity you have and being in a place like that really opened our eyes to that.”
The trip had such an impression on Paris that she is considering changing her future path.
“It honestly made me want to change my career,” Paris said. “I’m in physical therapy right now, and I’m still thinking about that, but I’ve thought about pediatrics or pediatric therapy, so I’m going to look into that.”
On the court, Paris took advantage of the opportunity to play last season after waiting behind Kaz Brown and Emily Franklin during her freshman campaign. As a sophomore in 2018, Paris started 28 of the 30 matches she played in and had 121 kills and 83 total blocks for the season.
UK head coach Craig Skinner liked how Paris grabbed a starting spot early in the season and never let it go.
“Kendyl didn’t start right away, then gained the starting position,” Skinner said. “(She’s) another player that has an awareness of the game that takes years and years to teach most people. Her understanding of what’s happening in front of her is what makes us special.”
Skinner has seen even more improvement from Paris during the offseason.
“Kendyl is much stronger, she’s jumping higher than she was last year,” Skinner said. “We’re expecting a lot from her.”
And Paris is expecting more from herself as well.
“Now, I know that I have the skill and I can play with anyone,” Paris said. “Now, I just keep going. I’m an upperclassman, so I need to take on more of a leadership role.”
And after the summer experiences she had, Paris is definitely more prepared for a leadership role with this team.
