FEATURED ATHLETE OF THE WEEK: Justyce Monnett, Cloverdale

Wednesday, September 27, 2017
Justyce Monnett makes a serve in a match earlier this season.
Banner Graphic/JOEY BENNETT

Justyce Monnett is a senior volleyball player at Cloverdale, who will also be joining the softball team next spring.

Banner Graphic: Your first name is very different around Cloverdale, while your last name is very common. Any particular story with your first name?

Justyce Monnett: “My name was taken from the movie ‘Poetic Justice’. It’s different being spelled with a ‘y’, and I like that. All the Monnetts at Cloverdale are related. My siblings are Kamrie [sophomore] and Garrett [seventh grade]. All the rest are cousins. I’m related to a lot of people at the school, but that makes it comfortable to be here.”

BG: A lot of the Monnetts compete in running sports. Did you ever do that?

JM: “No. That’s not my thing. I have played every sport since I could. The love of the game is what I love about it the most. All of us get along so well together. We have all grown up together. I have a lot more passion for volleyball than any other sport. I am planning to go into softball in the spring. I played as a freshman, and I’m going to try it again this year.”

BG: How has your Cloverdale High School career gone?

JM: “It’s gone way too fast for me. I love going here, but it’s gone too fast. I wish I had another year or two here. The sports have been some of the best times I’ve had here, especially basketball season. Winning sectionals and doing all that fun, school stuff and celebrating together has been really fun.”

BG: Are you a good student?

JM: “Yes, I get pretty good grades. I like English this year with Mrs. [Claire] Graham. She makes it fun, and she helps me learn a lot. She is more interactive with us.”

BG: What are your plans for after high school?

JM: “I plan on attending Ivy Tech, and then transfer to Indiana State for nursing. One of my friends’ moms is a pediatrician and had all the classes I’ll be taking. I’m really interested in working with kids.”

BG: What kinds of music, movies and TV do you like?

JM: “I love music. I listen to that more than I do anything else. I like to listen to all kinds. Hip hop, country, pop, anything really. My favorite TV show is ‘Teen Mom’. It’s good to learn what not to do, and to not make the mistakes that they did. They show you what your life would be like as a teen mom, and the struggles they have. It’s kind of eye-opening. That’s not something I want to do at all. I like going to movies. My favorite ones are action movies like ‘Fast and the Furious’. I think the series is over, but I heard they might make another one.”

BG: What is something that you have never done before that you would like to do someday?

JM: “I would like to go to Beliz. My Spanish II class did a project over a country and its culture, and I did mine on Beliz. It’s different, and it’s not big lights like Tokyo or anything. It’s tropical in places, and run down in others.”

BG: What is your greatest fear?

JM: “Drowning. It’s a scary thought.”

BG: What are your favorite and least favorite foods?

JM: “My favorite is lasagna, and I don’t like any green vegetables except lettuce. I know they’re good for you, but I just don’t like them.”

BG: Do you have any pets?

JM: “I have one dog and three cats. My dog Miley is a mix of a Labrador and a pointer. I have a cat named Remy, and then two of her kittens. They are Gatlin and Oliver. They are all outside cats. My mom is allergic, so they can’t come in. We’re in the country so they have a lot of room.”

BG: Do you want to come back to Putnam County to live after college?

JM: “I plan on going to Tennessee and living there in Memphis. I’d like to work at the St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital. I want to live closer to Nashville. I don’t want to live in Indiana.”

BG: What has been your favorite place to visit?

JM: “I loved Myrtle Beach (S.C.) when we went there. That was my favorite.”

BG: What goals do you have for the rest of the year?

JM: “We’ve been kind of up and down this year. I’d love to win sectionals with this team, especially since it’s my last year. I’ve never won a county title or anything big like that. That’s something I’ve always wanted to win. I’m not really sure who all is in our sectional yet; we haven’t really talked about it yet. I think if we all play well on the same day, we could have a good chance of winning.”

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