For most freshmen, the first season of college athletics is about adjustment—faster practices, tougher competition and finding a role on a new team. For Guilford College volleyball player Ashlin Paul, that adjustment came with an unexpected pause that reshaped not just her season, but her entire perspective on the sport.
Paul’s introduction to volleyball didn’t start right away. Instead, her talents were used on the track.
“I used to do track whenever I was little,” she said. “Whenever I moved to North Carolina my freshman year of high school, I got to play volleyball, and then I just fell in love with it.”
What started as a new opportunity quickly became something more. By the time she reached college, volleyball had become a key aspect of her identity.
Paul, who is a right-side pin hitter, embraces her role on the court.
“It gives me more options when I’m playing,” she said. Her height and versatility make her a strong presence at the net, where blocking and attacking are key parts of the game.
Despite this, her freshman season never fully got the chance to unfold.
“I only got into one game,” Paul said. “I got injured in September.”
The injury happened during a routine practice, when the demands of college volleyball were at their highest.
“I could feel this really sharp pain going down my arm,” Paul said. “It would go up my neck.”
What initially seemed like a typical injury quickly became something more complicated.
“[The doctors] were wondering if it was my labrum, then we figured out it wasn’t,” she said. “Now we’re thinking that it’s thoracic outlet syndrome.”
Thoracic outlet syndrome, a condition that affects nerves and blood flow in the upper body, creates challenges for an overhead athlete such as Paul.
“Whenever I raise my hand for an extended period of time, my arm goes numb,” she said. “It really affects hitting.”
On top of this, Paul also manages vertigo, causing her to experience dizziness on the court, especially while blocking and transitioning, which are key aspects of her position.
Instead of developing on the court, Paul spent her freshman season on the sidelines. However, she remained deeply involved with the team throughout.
“She would come and sit on the side and still watch,” said Paul’s roommate and fellow teammate, Karly Peacock.
The two, who kicked off their friendship easily, met as the only incoming freshmen on the volleyball team. From that perspective, Peacock has witnessed the full weight of Paul’s recovery.
“She did a lot of treatment and would go to the trainer and try to do as much as she could,” said Peacock.
For Paul, the challenge is not only physical but mental. Sitting out during a key developmental year forced her to rethink how she engages with the game.
“I definitely am more mindful about how my body feels,” she said. “Every practice, every lift, I have to take my health into consideration.”
Even while sidelined, she continues to grow as an athlete. Without the pressure of competing, she studied the game more closely.
“It was really helpful for me to sit and watch,” Paul said. “Watch techniques and just learn.”
When she is eventually cleared to return, the experience will carry new meaning.
“I was on top of the world because I was able to go back to this sport that I loved,” she said. “Coming back makes me appreciate it a little bit more.”
That appreciation extends into how she now views long-term health and performance. Paul gives a note of advice for athletes pushing forward through their own injury on the road to recovery: focus on getting better.
“Obviously, you want to return to your sport,” Paul said. “Your body, and your health, and your longevity [are] more important. You don’t want to re-injure yourself.”
