Cornelia Crudu

• Love challenges
• Disciplined
• Organized
• Ambitious
• Adapt easily

I work very well in a team, with my beach partners and with the people surrounding me. On a team I am usually the positive and optimistic person that encourages others to see the positive outcomes. On and off the court, I am also an empathic, honest and reliable person, so I am always there to support my partners and encourage them. I really enjoy meeting new people and teammates and I am a very welcoming person with whom it is easy to connect and exchange. I like creating strong relationships with my partners and coaches in order to progress and level up our game. I believe that each person can bring something unique to a team and to each player’s development. The best thing about working with a team is the strong relationships we build, but also our ability to challenge each other, so that we can improve. Improving also means getting feedback from one another which is a thing that I really appreciate. I like to learn new ways to improve my game, so I am always open to feedback. I also believe communication is key when working in a team, therefore, I am a person that gives a lot of information on the court. I like to discuss different strategies with my teammates and coaches, so we can be ready for our games.

• 18U Beach Provincials – 3rd
• 18U Beach Provincial Circuit Tournament – 1st
• 16U Beach Provincial Circuit Tournament – 1st
• 16U Volleyball Quebec Invitation Tournament (Indoor)- 1st
• 16U Regionals (Indoor) – 3rd
• 16U Volleyball Quebec Invitation Tournament (Indoor) – 2nd
• 14U Canadian Beach Nationals Division 1 – 5th
• 15U Volleyball Quebec Invitation Tournament (Indoor) – 1st
• 15U Impact Invitation Tournament (Indoor) – 1st
• 14U SUNSMASH Tournament (Beach) – 1st
• 14U SUNSMASH Tournament (Beach) – 2nd
• Barons Invitation Tournament (Indoor) – 1st
• 14U SUNSMASH Tournament (Beach) – 3rd

Each time I have had one of these athletic accomplishments, I felt very proud and happy of my team’s performance and also very grateful for everyone that has helped me get there. Each time I have had one of these athletic accomplishments, I have also taken the time to reflect on what I could do even better next time, so I can improve my game. I was also feeling grateful for the chance that I had to compete in such tournaments.

Outside of sports, I really like to spend time with family and friends. I love creating new memories by doing different activities with them such as walking downtown or going on a picnic because they bring a lot of happiness and joy in my life. I love going on adventures and creating fun memories. I really cherish these moments with the people that are close to me because they mean a lot to me and they have been there to support me throughout everything I have been through and for that I am very grateful. I have two younger sisters with whom I get along pretty well. With my middle sister, I like to talk about fashion and music and with my youngest sister, I like to play with her and just have fun. Music plays a big role in my life too. I am constantly listening to music and the music to which I listen reflects very well the happy, positive person I am. Another thing I really like is meeting new people and learning about different cultures. As a person, I am pretty curious and I really like to learn new things such as languages. At the moment, I speak four languages : French, English, Romanian and Spanish. I also love to travel around the world and visit new places because I can learn a lot, explore and see the beauty there is in every country. My family and I really like to go on vacation in different countries to visit and to create memories all together. Another thing that I enjoy and that comes from my mother is cooking. I really like combining different flavors and testing things out. Loving to cook also helps me as an athlete in my performances on the court. 

One of my biggest role models is Cristiano Ronaldo. His drive, his passion for what he does, his mindset and his work ethic are really inspiring for me. He is a very hard-working and dedicated athlete that puts a lot of work outside of the field and these are qualities that I give a lot of importance to and that I admire. He has taught me that anything is possible if you put your mind and time to it and if you give your 120% all the time. He is also very close with his teams and family which are values that are important to me as well. Another role model that I look up to is Melissa Humana-Paredes, a Canadian defender. She is part of the smallest defenders on tour, but she manages to make the point each time the ball is in her hands. I really admire her strategic game, her ability to be creative with the ball and her ability to vary her shots all the time. She has shown me that height doesn’t matter. What matters the most is the game you are able to play and your attitude towards it. She always has a smile on the court just like me. She also has a crazy defensive play. She reads the ball very well and she is everywhere on the court. There are also two other role models to whom I look up to everyday which are my parents. My parents immigrated to Canada which has been a tough experience for them. I admire their courage and ability to be resourceful in a situation where they had no help. They have taught me to be ambitious and to persevere no matter what to reach my goals.

Throughout all my years of highschool, I have done different committees at school. I participated in the Sports Committee and in the Graduation Album Committee. These two committees allowed me to contribute to my school by creating activities and creating my album. Volleyball plays a big part in my life, but these extracurricular activities are important to me as well because they allow me to develop other skills and push myself out of my comfort zone. They also make me learn new things and meet new people. During the pandemic, I also started intensive strength training with Coach Reid Hall. His programs have had a major impact on my volleyball performances. Just in the last year, I gained 3 inches on my vertical and 4 inches on my block touch. He has helped me a lot in gaining more power and agility as well as helping me prevent injuries. Strength training has become part of my life and I am super dedicated to it because it helps me on the court, but also mentally. I love testing my limits, pushing myself and seeing how far I can go and progress.

For four of my years in highschool, I have earned the Very Grand Distinction Award for my studies and I was able to maintain an average of 90 and over (92% for Grade 11). This year I have been nominated in the General Governor Award which is given to the person that has the best average in my year. Receiving these awards has been a big privilege. Knowing that my efforts, dedication and time have been paying off is truly wonderful and I feel very proud of myself and grateful for the people that surround me and that have always been there for me. I am a very curious person and I am always looking for ways to improve myself and my grades. Learning new things is something that I am really passionate about.

I intend to continue my studies in business or science. The business world has always attracted me because one day I would really like to own my company. Leading a team, being independent, finding new ways to improve something are all things that are part of a business and that I really like. The science world has always fascinated me. I love the nutrition aspect because it not only plays a huge role in my athlete life, but I also find it very interesting. Sciences such as chemistry and physics have always been pretty easy for me and mathematics as well.

I envision my university life as a memorable experience in which I can grow as an athlete, but also as a person. Getting out of my comfort zone, meeting new people from around the world and living great experiences are all things that I envision in my university life. Playing in a country with such a great level of beach volleyball will only help me learn from the best and become a better athlete. Being able to do what I am passionate about and what I truly love is something I see in my life at university. I am looking for a school with a really great beach volleyball level, but also a good academic level.