Dixon High's Maggie Ramirez to Play Volleyball in Australia

Dixon High School athlete Maggie Ramirez has something to look forward to this summer.

The Rams’ senior will be traveling to Australia to play in a volleyball tournament hosted by Down Under Sports through International Sports Specialists, Inc.

According to the company’s website, volleyball athletes will compete in a two-day event featuring 10 games. They will spend two days traveling there and two to three days practicing before tournament competition starts.

“At first it was very unbelievable,” Ramirez said. “It was very shocking. I didn’t see it coming at all. I had no idea how they would find me. It was kind of surreal. It’s a real big honor.”

Ramirez said she was one of three athletes chosen in a western United States region of 11 states. A total of 135 athletes were invited to play. One of the biggest things she will experience is playing with people she’s never met in her life.

Ramirez wants to also see what life's like in Australia. She has traveled inside the United States for softball events but has never left the country for an athletics event.

“I don’t meet any of my teammates or my coach until we get on the plane,” said Ramirez, who has played with the same core group of colleagues since her freshman year at DHS. “I will adjust to having to play with different athletes from different states. People that I’ve never met, that’ll be nice.”

Ramirez started playing volleyball in almost the same way. She was on vacation with her family in Santa Cruz in seventh grade while on the beach, they encountered a local volleyball tournament.

“I started to play with a bunch of older people on the beach and I started to really like it,” she said. “I tried out for volleyball and it came naturally.”

Ramirez also plays softball for the Rams. She said her conditioning for softball hasn’t affected her training for the volleyball trip this summer.

“I want to go out and finish my senior year strong and finish the best I can,” she said.

Her best memories of being a Dixon High volleyball player are being a captain her senior year and her junior year, which was her best statistical season. Ramirez recorded 313 assists as a senior and 374 as a junior.

“It wasn’t a lot of pressure but it was at the same time,” said Ramirez of her junior year. “It was nice because I’ve always naturally taken the role of the leader. It’s nice because people looked up to me.”

Ramirez's mother Alisa said fundraising for the trip is two-thirds complete. Those wishing to donate to her cause can contact Alisa directly at (916) 952-6366 or email her at reubenandlisa@sbcglobal.net.

Editor's note: An earlier version of this story misspelled Maggie Ramirez' name. For corrections, please contact the editor directly at carlos.villatoro@patch.com