Featured Athlete of the Week: Tori Combs, Cloverdale

Tori Combs is a senior at Cloverdale and participates in volleyball, basketball and softball

BG: How long have you been playing your three sports and what have you learned from them?

TC: “Life would be really boring if sports didn’t exist. I obviously go all year-round, and I would probably weigh about 500 pounds if I didn’t do anything. I have learned from sports how to be punctual and how to build friendships. It’s kind of like having a job, but I like being around the girls. It’s worth it. I started playing softball around age four or five. I started basketball and volleyball in fifth grade. I love them all, but basketball I seem to like the most. I love the environment of basketball. It’s non-stop and there’s not a time to rest except on timeouts and at halftime.”

BG: Your teams have had a lot of success. Softball has won the county title three years in a row, you have been sectional runnerup in volleyball two years in a row and were second in the conference this year. In basketball, you lost in the sectional championship two years ago. How is basketball looking this year?

TC: “It’s going well. My freshman year, we weren’t very successful, but since then we have been gradually getting better every year. I think we’ll have a good year this year. I think that they can continue being successful next year after this year’s seniors are gone because they are really talented.”

BG: How has your game improved?

TC: “I can definitely shoot better than I used to be able to do. I am getting better with my left hand. I need to keep getting better at everything.”

BG: Volleyball went the best this year that it’s gone. What was that season like?

TC: “Volleyball went well this year with coach [Sam] Jones as our coach. When he went down with his accident, we got down a little bit but it just pushed us to do better for him.”

BG: How about softball?

TC: “I’ve been playing with an Indiana Smoke travel team whenever I can. I have gotten to know girls from all the other county schools. It’s a good team, and I love them.”

BG: What else do you do at school besides sports things?

TC: “I like to go to the football and boys’ basketball games and cheer them on, and to the baseball games when I can. Our teams have been successful the past few years, and it’s fun to watch.”

BG: What do you do when you’re not doing school or sports things?

TC: “I like to hang out with my friends and doodle, and watch Netflix. I like to draw whatever pops into my head.”

BG: You seem to wear a lot of T-shirts with classic rock singers and bands on them. How did you get interested in them?

TC: “My dad and I were really close, and he listened to them all the time when I was little. He was my best friend, and I’ve kept listening to them. It’s nice. The Beatles are my favorite. I just got a new shirt with them on it.”

BG: What are your favorites in movies and television?

TC: “In movies, my favorite kinds are horror movies like ‘Scream”. My favorite TV show is ‘Criminal Minds’.”

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

TC: “Swim with dolphins. I have always liked sea animals, and they are pretty cool.”

BG: What is your greatest fear?

TC: “Storms. I crawl under the covers and hide with my dog.”

BG: What kind of dog do you have?

TC: “I have a dog named Memphis. She’s a Rottweiler and she turns one year old this month. She’s a good dog and she’s pretty protective of us.”

BG: What is some place you’d like to go where you haven’t been before?

TC: “I’ve always wanted to go to Hawaii. It seems cool.”

BG: If you could describe your personality in one word, what would that be?

TC: “Odd. I have always seemed different from everyone else, but I think I fit in well with others. It sets me apart from other people.”

BG: What has your overall Cloverdale experience been like?

TC: “I love Cloverdale. It’s such a good community. Everyone supports everything, and it’s small so everyone knows everyone else. Everybody gets along. You wouldn’t think it’s like that at other schools. People who have moved to Cloverdale all say how nice it is here.”

BG: Have you had any certain teachers or classes that have helped you a lot here?

TC: “Mr. [Andy] Tyler’s classes are informative and fun too. I have him for economics this year, and it’s fun. We learn a lot of things. I have learned a lot in my English class [with Claire Graham] this year too.”

BG: Is it hard keeping up with your studies being a three-sport athlete?

TC: “No, I get a lot of my work done at school. I’ve always enjoyed school, and I have all As right now. I’ve always found it easy, and it’s nice not to have homework very often.”

BG: What your plans for after high school?

TC: “I want to go to college to play basketball. I’m leaning toward Lincoln Trail College, and I’ll probably end up going there. Volleyball just ended, but I’m missing it already. They have volleyball there, and I might try to do both even though it would be tough. Maybe I’ll end up liking one more than the other. I’ll be trying my hardest. I want to study marine biology, and I like the behavioral part of it from watching ‘Criminal Minds’.”

BG: Do you have any special skills that people may not know of?

TC: “I wish I could do a Rubik’s Cube, but I’m terrible at it. I wish I had one, but I don’t. That would be cool.”

BG: Your family seems to support you well at your activities. How important is that?

TC: “It’s really nice to always have family there at all the games, and my friends. We all support each other.”

BG: Is it getting scary yet that your senior year is coming to end soon?

TC: “Yes, it’s going really fast. I’m definitely not ready for college yet or anything like that. Being away from my family will be hard, but it will be cool to be on my own. I still feel like I’m a freshman sometimes.”

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

TC: “I’d really like to win the county in basketball, since I’ve never done that. If we go in with a chip on our shoulder, we can get it done. Our conference is tough, but I think we can push through and get it done pretty well. We’ve been close to winning the sectional, but I think we can get it done this year as long we keep working hard.”

BG: What is something about you that people might not know?

TC: “I’m actually not scary. I’m nice, and I’m pretty funny.”