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What drives you?
Just the drive to want to leave – it's my senior year and I want to leave as a leader. I want to be remembered as that senior who gave it her all, and she wanted to lead her team to do something that they haven't done in a long time, which is the ultimate goal – get to the NCAA Tournament and win conference. I just wanted to set the tone this year – set the tone to be consistent, be great and work hard all the time, even when no one is watching.
What do you do 'when no one is watching' during the offseason?
During the summer, it's just taking advantage of what you have. It's up to you, it's your choice – are you going to do it, or are you going to watch tv and eat popcorn all day during the summer. If you want to be great and you want to do something that's memorable for USF you've got to go and train during the summer and come back ready to go as soon as preseason starts.
This summer, I think I took it to another level. And not having the best season last fall, I told myself 2013 is going to be my year. It's my senior year and nobody wants to wait until their senior year, but it's now or never. I made that decision to change my mentality – not necessarily to change Malina, but I want to give USF more. I know I play well. I have confidence and it's not changing who you are, it's giving more.
How did Team USA tryouts shape your vision for this season?
During spring I went to the USA women's national tryouts. Going there, it wasn't about making a team,  I knew I went there to get better. I went there because I wanted to be in that atmosphere of the best young women in the country, and I did just that. When I came back, and that was just kind of – I saw the light. I was like, you know what this is good volleyball and this is what I have to bring back to USF. Ever since then I've just been high level, high intensity – I want to be the best out there, so that's what I worked for over the summer. I worked to be the best.
What do you see as your strengths?
On the court, I think now it's my attacking. I worked super hard over the summer on my legs and squatting a lot more, doing dead lifts because I wanted to be the highest jumper in the gym. I think if you can jump high and make smart shots, you're doing it. I may not be the tallest outside hitter or the tallest middle blocker in the country – 5-10 isn't very tall – but before I didn't embrace that, and now I do. Being a not-so-tall hitter and being able to jump high, that's everything to me now. I take pride in that.
Off the court, my strength is something that I did not bring my other three years here, which is energy and enthusiasm. Being a leader. Anyone can be a leader, no matter who it is. Whether you're in the game, outside of the game, captain, no captain – anyone can be a leader. I realize that I have that quality in myself and I'm confident that no matter what the score is, I can still bring some kind of energy to my team and motivation. It's taken me three years to get that, but it's better late than never.
How did you get your start in playing competitive volleyball?
I started when I was in the fourth grade. My sisters also played and my brother, also a very, very good volleyball player, he taught me how to play. I liked it, but I was originally going to be a basketball player when I grew up. I didn't start playing competitively, like club volleyball where all the colleges come to recruit, until I was 14. That's when I realized, wow. This is good stuff, I actually want to do this. Then I got to high school, got in better shape, started jumping a little bit higher, started hitting a little bit harder because I was getting older and getting stronger, and then I realized this is what I want to do. Once a few college letters came in, I'm actually realizing I must be pretty decent. Each year I just worked to get better and the next thing you know Gilad offered me a scholarship and I accepted it, knowing that this was the right choice for me. It was a great fit.
What are your post-collegiate plans?
I want to continue to play. Honestly. I want to play until my shoulder falls off, until I can't swing at any more balls, that's how long I want to play. I want to have a career in doing something I love to do. I believe anybody can do that. Anybody can have a career in what they love to do, and for me volleyball is it. That's where my future is, is to play volleyball.
What is something about you that most fans wouldn't necessarily know?
I really enjoy the arts and crafts. I used to make jewelry when I was younger and I used to sell it. I used to really, really love to draw. That is a hidden talent of mine. Along with an athletic mind I actually have a very creative mind. Another thing I think I'm starting to like is acting. I'm taking an acting for non-majors class and it's really, really fun, and I think I have a dramatic side.
