CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. (CBS19 SPORTS) -- When Rachel Pickens steps onto the Monticello volleyball court, she has one thing in mind -- to get better.

"It's such a unique sport especially in that fact that every point ends in a mistake and you can always be learning how to get better and growing," Pickens said. 

That mindset came from something she was told when she was younger.

"I played travel ball and I had a coach essentially say about me that I was the worst player on the team and I was not very good at volleyball," she said. "From that point on, I just gave 100 percent of my effort in practicing, games, camps. I went to every possible clinic anything I could to get better at volleyball."

That growth most evident this season where's she tripled the amount of kills she had from last season. 

"She's one of those those athletes that she's a sponge," Monticello head volleyball coach Meg Laughlin said. "She's really interested in feedback and because of that, season-by-season, coming in she's grown a ton."

And she takes that off the court where's she's involved in Monticello's JROTC program and is fluent in English and Spanish.

"I will do just about anything," Pickens said. "I want to try everything once. I'm a big 'don't knock it unless you try it kind of gal.'"

"A student-athlete is a balance," Laughlin said. "You're a student because of your academic, you're an athlete, but to really balance the two and invest in both fully is important."

Pickens is still undecided on where she'll play volleyball in college next season, but hopes to take that learning mindset to the next level.

"I'm looking for a strong team culture," she said. "That's something that've worked hard to establish here at Monticello. A good competitive team. I want to be surrounded by other girls who want to win and also have that drive and that fire to win."