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Starlings, Hudl Present Inaugural “Dominate Award”: Recognizing Excellence On and Off the Court

1 Min Read

One outstanding student-athlete earned an academic scholarship, brand new technology for school and more.

In March of 2022, Starlings Volleyball, USA and Hudl announced a partnership that equips the largest junior volleyball club organization in the country with video and data tools from the leading sports analysis platform.

Included in the partnership is the Dominate Award presented by Hudl, which recognizes an athlete who exemplifies the core values of Starlings Volleyball by committing themselves to academic excellence, healthy lifestyle choices and excellent character.

Cayla Waite (DS/L, 2023) is the recipient of the 2022 Dominate Award presented by Hudl.

Waite plays for Omaha Starlings 18s as a defensive specialist/libero. She was nominated for the award by club director Shannon Walker, who had this to say about Waite:

“Cayla is one of the most thoughtful and responsible athletes I've had the pleasure of coaching. She is an incredibly hard worker, holds herself accountable and doesn't look for shortcuts. She's a model student as you can see from her report card. She has all A's in a challenging course load consisting of all AP and Honors classes. She maintains those grades while working a part-time job, being a Varsity athlete, participating in club volleyball and being family-oriented. She just recently passed her CNA test, so she can prepare herself for a future career in medicine where she can help others. Her work ethic sets her apart and makes her deserving of the Starlings Dominate Award.”

In addition to the award, Waite received an academic scholarship, a prepaid VISA gift card, a new iPad and all dues for the 2022-2023 Starlings club season covered.

When asked about her experience at Starlings and using Hudl, Waite said that she strives to learn and grow from her mistakes, and Hudl has another way to hold herself accountable. But for all her hard work, Cayla was stunned to hear her name called at the award ceremony.

“It was very surreal, I was very shocked. I had an idea that I was nominated for something, my coach had told me, but I didn't know it had that kind of gravity attached to it,” she said. “I blanked out the entire time, I started crying and it was over. I made eye contact with my coach and was done for after that.”

Waite has already started applying for colleges with the ambition of attending nursing school to become a neonatal pediatric nurse

You can watch the award presentation on the Starlings Volleyball Facebook page—and be sure to have some tissues nearby.