Veronica's journey to becoming a volleyball player began when she was just seven years old.
“I started playing volleyball when I was really young,” she said.
Initially her mom signed her up for gymnastics, but Veronica didn’t quite take to it. One day still in her gym gear, she decided to join a volleyball practice just to try it out.
“And well the rest of his history,” Rangel said.
Growing up playing volleyball in the United States would be a dream, which became a reality with her agency. This helps young women study and play volleyball in the United States at the next level. Rangel soon after received an offer from Butler Community College to play volleyball pursue her degree.
Head Coach Lisa Lechtenberg reviewed Veronica’s film and ultimately felt that she would be a great fit for the program.
“Veronica, or Roni (which is what her teammates call her), is more confident on the court this year and has really let her personality come out,” Lechtenberg said. “She has earned herself some playing time the second half of conference play.”
Veronica enjoys the teamwork out of some of the other aspects. From her perspective, teammates rely on one another to score a point, and this is the real magic of the sport. When Rangel moved from Venezuela to Portugal, her passion for volleyball really blossomed. This is where she was able to realize her full potential as an athlete in the future in volleyball.
Among her teammates, they describe Veronica as an energetic person “who likes to be involved in the community and try to connect with everyone.”
“Roni is someone who is full of energy, always bringing excitement and positivity to every practice and game,” one teammate said.
For some students, when they learn that student athletes travel so far for education and their sport it’s surprising.
“At first, there was definitely a language barrier that made it difficult, but over the last two years, we have gotten a lot closer, and it is easier to understand each other,” one teammate said.
One teammate added that “it was very interesting that she came from Portugal because I get to learn how the culture is different and embrace and learn from her.”
For student athletes, some struggle with finding time between practice, academics and the sport.
“We help the student athletes balance academics and volleyball with team study hall twice per week,” Lechtenberg said. “On long road trips for matches, we usually can offer some time for schoolwork as well, and the team learns pretty fast how to complete schoolwork on the bus as well.”
For Veronica, her biggest inspirations have always been her parents. She said they always
supported her and every step of the way, Rangel is determined to make the most of her opportunities in the world of volleyball.