BY: DANIELA PEREZ LEAL / CHIEF ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR
Coming from “La Isla del Encanto”, Puerto Rico to the Big Apple, Gio Collazo has been writing an amazing and passionate story for LIU Men’s Volleyball.
Collazo grew up in San Juan, Puerto Rico. He was introduced to volleyball when he was four-years-old and started playing competitively at seven.
With the influence of his big brother, who was a professional volleyball player, Gio quickly fell in love with volleyball.
“I play other sports but when I entered a volleyball court, It was different. I made a special connection with volleyball.”
Gio noted that volleyball grants him the satisfaction of playing at the highest level while not having the ideal body. He also described that although volleyball is a sport full of challenges, he likes to embrace the challenge.
“I really like the difficulty of keeping the ball in the air, since in volleyball you don't have control of the ball. Besides that, I like the consistency that this sport requires.”
Collazo considers that the biggest challenge in volleyball is mentality. He noted that in order to fight for consistency, you need to be mentally strong.
“It is a mental sport, if you are not strong psychologically, you will not be able to perform well on the court. Also, volleyball is a team sport. You count on other people, and you have to trust them.”
The outsider hitter looked to leave Puerto Rico after his high school graduation, seeking new resources for improvement. He considered the United States a platform to become a better athlete and received an offer from Long Island University to begin his career.
Gio has been proudly representing the Sharks for three years now. Looking back on his first two seasons, he reflected fondly on his experience.
“Last season I played excellent and fulfilled my role 100%. My first season was a very good year, a time to discover new things and have new opportunities.”
Gio has been a fundamental part of the LIU Men’s Volleyball Team. In his first season, Collazo appeared in 27 matches and 71 sets. The following year, he appeared in 27 matches and 96 sets. In that time, he led the team with 170 digs and racked up 48 kills.
Gio earned the Shark Spirit award in his first year, and ahead of the 2023 season, he got elected as a captain of the team.
In this position, Gio has played a pivotal role in many important victories, including the 2023 NEC Conference Championship Game, where the team defeated St. Francis 3-0.
“The experience as team captain allowed me to be more humble, I had to get out of my comfort zone so that together as a team we could go to the NEC championship.”
Off the court, Collazo is currently majoring in Biology, maintaining a balance between his athletic and academic careers.
In the future, Gio envisions himself as the best volleyball player in the world. After graduation, he plans to go to Italy to start his professional sports career. However, his next goal is to be the best outside hitter in the NEC conference and lead his team to a second championship.
Gio has always represented his country with great joy. He is proud to be Puerto Rican and also makes sure to carry, in his heart, the meaningful values that his parents taught him.
His love and gratitude for his family keep him motivated to fight for his goals because he wants to give them the best.
“My family and their efforts are my greatest motivation. Knowing that they give everything for me and that they work hard gives me strength. I owe them everything and I wish that through me, they can experience something that they have not yet experienced.”
Gio stands out for his love, passion, perseverance, and enthusiasm for the game. His champion mentality and work ethic have allowed him to achieve the things he'd already accomplished in his mind.
Collazo has seen great success at LIU, but it is just the beginning. The future that awaits him is very promising because he is willing to fight and never give up.