Q&A: Memorial senior Tiffany Lopez
It’s rare when Memorial senior Tiffany Lopez gets to take a break. That’s by design.
Lopez recently completed her volleyball career as a middle blocker for Memorial. She earned a spot on the ExpressNews Class 5A team as a junior.
She also has been the starting power forward on the basketball team since her freshman season and has scored 1,794 career points. After basketball, she’ll play center field in softball and finish her high school career competing in shot put and discus. Her goal is to break the school record (39 feet, 1 inch) in the shot put, a mark held by her aunt Nancy Villalobos. Lopez’s personal best is 38-1.
E-N: Why do you play so many sports?
“One, it keeps me in shape, and two, I love playing all sports and seeing what I can do in them.”
E-N: What are your earliest memories about playing sports?
“Well, the first thing I did was cheerleading, and that led me into playing CYO sports, and the very first one I did was volleyball, and it continued on from there.”
E-N: When you started playing volleyball, how different was that from cheerleading?
“Oh, there was a lot of difference. I was very uncoordinated.”
E-N: How did that lead into the other sports?
“As the season went on, like how high school is, CYO did the same thing. After volleyball, I went straight into basketball and soccer and softball.”
E-N: Do you ever get tired of playing all these sports?
“No, because I love being around people who do the same thing as me.”
E-N: Volleyball was the first varsity sport you played. As a freshman, what was it like to be that young and playing varsity?
“It was very intimidating with the seniors. They were experienced. … But as soon as the first game came, I was ready to play.”
E-N: When did basketball become your favorite sport?
“Right after volleyball for CYO came basketball, and I just fell in love with the sport. All the running and all the blocking. I was much taller than everyone. The first time I played there were two girls over me and I just shot and I made it, and it got me from there.”
E-N: What makes you so passionate about basketball?
“Everything. From being able to dribble the ball and shooting the ball and being physical. That’s just a lot of fun to me.”
E-N: Is being physical the way you approach everything?
“Yes, being very aggressive and going at it and giving it my all.”
E-N: What do you like about playing softball?
“Well, it’s not my favorite sport, but I still love hitting and my favorite part is running the outfield and catching all those pop flies. I like showing how fast I can run and how coordinated I am when I catch the ball.”
E-N: Why have you stuck with playing softball?
“My parents love seeing me play softball. That’s one thing. It keeps me in shape. That’s another thing. And there’s something about it. I just can’t give it up. I have to keep continuing to play.” E-N: What do you like about competing in shot put and discus?
“I like the feeling of laying it loose out of my hands. My aunt came here and she also did shot put and discus. My goal is to beat her record in shot put.”
E-N: What keeps you motivated to play all these sports?
“When I was little and I was playing all these sports, I feel they’ve become a part of me. I believe if I don’t play one sport and take a break, I’ll lose myself.”