Biography
2015 (SENIOR)
Played and started in all 28 matches…led the team in kills (317; 3.05 k/s), aces (38; 0.37 sa/s), attacks (969), points (392.0), and double-doubles with 13…second in digs with 287 (2.76 dig/s)…fourth in total blocks with 63 (0.61 blk/s)…reached the 1000-milestone for both kills and digs this season…set a career-high 60 total attempts in a single match at FAU (10/25/15)…tied a career-best, four aces at LA Tech (11/12/15)…finished her career with 1,236 kills, ranking her 5th all-time in Panther’s history…ranks 5th all-time in school history in digs with 1,031…ranks 3rd all-time in Panther’s history in total attempts with 3,753…she becomes only the third player in FIU volleyball history to reach both 1000 career kills and digs…named to the All-Conference USA Second Team, her first time receiving the honor…named to her third consecutive All-Conference Academic Honor Roll.
2014 (JUNIOR)
Played and started in all 30 matches in the 2014 season … led the team and ranked ninth in C-USA with 3.26 kills-per-set, tallying 368 total kills for the year … produced a career-high 27 kills in the South Dakota State Challenge at South Dakota State (9/12) … finished the season with a career-total 919 total kills which ranks ninth all-time at FIU … also ranked ninth in the league with 3.67 points-per-set … finished second on the squad with 337 digs (2.98 dps) and third on the team with 20 aces (0.18 sa/s) … added 43.0 total blocks (33 assisted and 10 solo) for 0.38 blocks-per-set and 23 assists (0.20 aps) … hit a season-high .480 (13K-1E/28TA) against South Carolina State during the USF Invitational … had a career-best 24 digs against Charlotte (11/2) and three solo blocks versus Middle Tennessee (10/24) which was also a career-high … contributed a team-best 12 double-doubles with double-digit kill performances in 17 matches, finishing the year with a seven-match steak with 15 or more kills … also tallied 15 double-digit dig matches … named 2014-2015 C-USA Academic Honor Roll.
2013 (SOPHOMORE)
Saw action in all 30 matches, starting in 26 … ranked 20th in C-USA and first on the team in kills (317, 2.94 kps) …. second on the team in points (361.5, 3.35 pps) and third on the squad in digs (222, 2.06 dps) … tallied 53 blocks and 16 aces on the 2013 season ... posted seven doubles-doubles on the year… notched a season-best 19 digs at East Carolina (10/25/13) … tied a season-high as well as an FIU team-best 20 kills at Southern Miss (11/10/13) … also hit a career-best .571 against South Dakota State (9/13/13) at the FIU Invitational Tournament, converting 13 kills against one error on 21 attempts … registered a season-high three assists versus Jacksonville (9/12) also at the FIU Invitational … contributed a career-high seven blocks (all assisted – also marks a career-best) in the Conference USA Tournament against Tulsa (11/22/13) … garnered a career-high three services aces versus Syracuse (9/21/13) … added four solo stops on the year … named 2013-14 C-USA Academic Honor Roll.
2012 (FRESHMAN)
Saw action in all 30 matches, starting 28 … registered season totals of 234 kills (2.21 kps), 185 digs (1.75 dps), 48 blocks, 23 service aces and 12 assists … ranked second on the team in service aces and third in kills … posted three double-doubles on the year, securing her first-career double-double vs. Florida Gulf Coast (8/25) with 15 kills and 15 digs … also notched a season-high 15 digs and served up an FIU season-high and personal career-best four aces against the Eagles … recorded a career-high 20 kills againstFlorida A&M (8/25/12) … hit a clipof .455 for a season-best performance at North Texas (10/19), converting six kills against one error in 11 total attempts) … posted a season-high two assists on three occasions … registered season-best marks of six total blocks and five block assists versus Louisiana (10/5) … contributed six solo stops on the season, marking a career-high.
PRIOR TO FIU
Has played volleyball since fifth grade and played softball for two years at the Caribbean School in Ponce, Puerto Rico … earned multiple MVP honors for volleyball … tabbed 2010 Athlete of the Year … a member of the Puerto Rican National Team … led her club team, Levoc, to the Costa Caribe Volleyball Tournament title … also competed with the VB Rags club, guiding that squad to a Jeep National Volleyball Championship … earned All-Star recognition in the Power League Championships … a member of the National Honor Society … Also recruited by LSU, Duke and Florida Gulf Coast.
PERSONAL
Born June 15, 1994 … daughter of Belen Hernandez and the late Pablo Castro … has one younger sister, Paola … enjoys horseback riding, going to the beach and spending time with friends and family …majoring in biology … aspires to attend med school and play professional volleyball.
