Volleyball player, UAH

Words by McKenzie Wade | Images by Al Blanton

There is nothing quite like the atmosphere of a high school sporting event—screaming fans, focused athletes, and the sound of the blaring buzzer. Can you picture it in your head? For recent Dora graduate Zharia Hubbard, there is no place she would rather be. 

Zharia picked up a basketball for the first time when she was just six years old. In 7th grade, she decided to give volleyball a try. Dora Head Volleyball Coach Kimberly Sanford reflects on the first time she watched Zharia play. 

“I actually got to work with her some while she went to Sumiton. I could tell that she was going to be something special,” Sanford says.

In high school, Zharia continued to play both basketball and volleyball. Through her hard work, her athletic ability continued to flourish into something that was undeniably special. “You have to be able to work hard to get better at a sport,” she says.

Basketball and volleyball are two very different sports. Both require different technique and skill levels. “Basketball is more intense because it’s a contact sport; you are constantly running up and down the court,” Zharia says. 

Both sports also have their “high points.” For Zharia, it’s going for a spike. “It is like you freeze in the air,” she says. “It is the best feeling.”

Zharia scored over 1,000 points during her time playing basketball for DHS— an incredible achievement for a high school player. During halftime in a game against Curry, Zharia learned she only needed nine more points to hit 1,000. Full of determination, she quickly knocked out eight of those points. “Everybody started screaming, ‘One more point!’” she says with a smile. “I was shooting free throws and I missed the first one. But then, I made the second one, so it worked out.”

According to Dora’s head basketball coach Justin Blevins, it is Zharia’s “relentless effort” that has enabled her to be so successful in athletics.  

As her senior year came to a close, Zharia found herself with many offers from different colleges to play either basketball or volleyball. “It’s hard because I like volleyball and I really like basketball too,” she says. Her love for both sports made the decision a difficult one, but ultimately Zharia decided to play volleyball for the University of Alabama in Huntsville (UAH), where she also plans to pursue dentistry. 

Currently, Zharia is in her freshman year as a college volleyball player. Though she will miss playing with the high school friends she grew up with, she is excited to see what this next journey in her athletic career holds. 78