Gia Cruz has loved volleyball “from the moment she first started playing,” but there was a period where it looked like she’d lose her ability to play.

Cruz was diagnosed with congenital pes planus and talonavicular subluxation, conditions that affected her mobility and strength in her left ankle and lower leg. She underwent three surgeries to try and correct the issue, but they weren’t enough to get her back on the court. In 2017, she had to quit because of her disability.

Then, she remembered she had seen something in a USA Volleyball magazine about sitting volleyball and hopped on the internet.

“I googled sitting volleyball in San Antonio, Texas, where I’m from,” Cruz said. “I had a team in my area, and then I just started going.”

Cruz not only received a second chance at the sport s

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