Rookie on the rise: CDO volleyball player earns Arizona's top freshman blocking title

Canyon del Oro High School freshman Lainey Wilderson didn’t always imagine herself on a volleyball court.

She grew up a dancer, becoming a company dancer in just about every style — jazz, ballet, tap and ballroom.

But by the time she had hit her tweens, she had fallen out of love with dance.

Desperate to find that spark once again, she looked for anything that would bring that passion back.

So, she tried almost every sport she could think of, including volleyball, softball and soccer, but nothing gave her the feeling that volleyball did.

“It’s like I get this rush and I feel so good when I’m playing,” she said. “I feel confident and I’m with my people who understand me and I could just let all of my feelings go as soon as I step into any gym.”

She may only have two years of volleyball experience under her belt, including with her club team, Cactus Juniors Volleyball Club, but she’s already a force to be reckoned with on the court.

Throughout her first high school varsity year as a middle blocker, she has logged a .269 hitting percentage and earned a top-five spot in the 5A conference, as well as the No. 19 ranking in the state (out of all grade levels) for blocks (86). MaxPreps also lists her as the No. 1 freshman blocker in Arizona for total blocks.

Prep Dig, a high school volleyball-focused site, currently ranks Wilderson No. 37 in the state for the freshman class and No. 7 in her position as a middle blocker.

With only one season in, CDO head varsity girls volleyball coach Jose Robles can see Wilderson becoming one of the team’s standout players in the next few seasons.

“She’s definitely already making a name for herself,” Robles said. “She’s going to be turning heads. She’s going to be one of the few studs we have on this team that people are going to be afraid of when playing us, maybe even next year, but definitely when she’s a junior and senior. People are going to be referring to her when they got to scout us out and she’s going to be a big factor for us. She’s going to play a huge role as she continues her volleyball career.”

This year’s Dorados varsity volleyball team includes six sophomores and two freshmen, including 14-year-old Wilderson. Robles says the team is young and also in the midst of a rebuild year.

The Dorados are currently No. 13 in the state with a 12-6 record. All spots preceding CDO are Phoenix-area high schools, according to the latest AIA rankings. Their overall record is 16-14.

Despite being in a rebuilding phase, the team is working through the growing pains, and Wilderson has been leading the charge on staying positive this season — win or lose.

“We’ve had matches where they’ve been tough losses,” Robles said. “But what I’ve been really appreciative of this team and these younger kids is, they could have easily been like, ‘We lost a tough match, we’re done.’ But, no, these girls want to just keep fighting. And especially, Lainey has been at the forefront of ‘I’m going to keep working hard. I’m going to keep moving forward.’”

Through all the hurdles, volleyball has become an outlet for Wilderson.

When her beloved dog Daisy died earlier this season, Wilderson was devastated to say the least. She found herself crying at nearly every practice and it was difficult to find a new routine without Daisy.

Even as time goes by, she still gets emotional talking about her.

Although she was still grieving, volleyball helped her shift her focus.

“It gave me really nice distractions,” she said. “I feel like every time I step onto a court, all of my worries just go away. So, it was kind of like a break from the world for a bit and it was really nice.”

Other elements in her life that keep her balanced are her faith and family.

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Before every game, she takes a moment to pray with her teammates. It’s a simple gesture, but a meaningful one for Wilderson.

“That always just makes me feel so much better,” she says. “And knowing that God has my back while I play and He’s always here for me. I have Bible verses written on both my shoes, just to remind me when I need a reset, that I have a foundation that I can go back to.”

Along with her faith, Wilderson’s family also plays a huge role in her foundation.

When she’s not on the court or in school, Wilderson spends most of her time hanging out with her family.

Each week, Wilderson and her family hop in the family car and take a drive to Dairy Queen, where they get ice cream and chat about each of their weeks.

Whether it’s a good week or a bad one, it’s something she looks forward to weekly.

“My family has a huge role in supporting who I am and making me just the person I am, too,” she said.

While she may only be a freshman in high school, she already has an idea of what she wants to do after she graduates in 2029: attend a college that’s close to home and become a pediatrician.

With only seven more semesters to go as a Dorado, Wilderson is on the right track to serve up success in the classroom and on the court.

“I’ve been so blessed with these underclassmen that have come into CDO,” Robles said. “It’s been super nice because they’re all about changing the culture for the better, and just keep improving the culture. And Lainey is just one of those down-to-earth kids that’s always smiling, always happy, and she tries her best even if she’s struggling. She goes the extra mile to make sure her teammates know ‘I’m still here for you.’ …

“It’s really great to have a kid like that because she just adds to the team. She’s just so beneficial for us in terms of attitude and competitiveness and just being able to be the ideal teammate for the other players out there.”

Fast Five with Lainey

What’s your pregame ritual?

I really like praying. That’s one thing I really would do and I always like to have two AirPods in while I warm up. I like to listen to my worship music, just to kind of get me focused and in the mindset and just feeling myself. So, I normally do that, and then I like to warm up my arms for a really long time. So, if I don’t get that, I always feel like I’m just zoned out.

If you could play with any volleyball player in the world, who would it be?

There’s this middle at Nebraska who’s really good. Her name’s Andi Jackson and she’s one of my biggest inspirations.

What are three things that are always in your gym bag?

I have shoe powder to make my shoes smell good. I always carry it because I hate smelling bad. I hate it. Then I always have a bunch of Band-Aids because I pick at my fingers when I get nervous and then I’ll bleed, and then I have to get Band-Aids for it. So, I always have to carry a bunch of Band-Aids for that. And I have a mini Jesus in my backpack, a mini plastic Jesus that I keep in each of my bags. And it’s just yet again, another reminder that He’s always with me.

What’s your Dairy Queen order?

I get their chocolate strawberry blizzard. It’s so good. It’s strawberry ice cream and then it has chocolate chunks in it and it’s so good.

What’s your current favorite class?

History. I really like learning about our past and everything that’s happened and it just sticks with me. I think about it a lot and it’s my best class. I always do great on the tests in there. It’s just great. I love it.