Victoria Smith attempts a spike against the Nelson University Lions. [Photo courtesy Jarod Brackens]

From being told she may never play sports because of a rare medical condition to completing a fifth collegiate season—and now preparing to compete in a semi-professional league—Victoria Smith’s volleyball career is defined not just by athletic success, but by resilience. Her journey shows how determination can turn medical limitations into leadership and belonging. 

When Smith was born, doctors told her parents she had Marfan syndrome, a rare genetic disorder that affects connective tissue and occurs in about 1 in 5,000 to 1 in 10,000 people. For Smith, the condition includes an enlarged aorta—an artery in the heart—a life-threatening complication. 

“They told me I couldn’t play contact sports—a hit to the chest could more easily cause me a heart attack,” Smith said. 

Despite the diagnosis, Smith grew up playing basketball, soccer and eventually volleyball with close medical monitoring. But her condition became more complicated during the COVID-19 pandemic, when she missed her annual checkup and later contracted the virus. 

“When I went in 2022 and they did the MRI, they said it had gotten worse—they knew that if I got COVID, the situation could worsen,” she said. 

Her doctor allowed her to finish the final two weeks of her season but warned that she might not be able to continue competing. 

“I really thought my career might have been over and that I wasn’t going to be able to play at that level anymore,” Smith said. 

Still, she chose gratitude over fear. 

“I was able to play for as long as I could, I got the maximum amount of time I could have being able to play college ball,” she said.

After completing four years at Austin College, Smith contacted Jorge Rodriguez, Texas Wesleyan’s head beach volleyball coach, who had tried to recruit her earlier in her college career. 

“It was always impressive to me how much love and passion she had for the sport,” Rodriguez said.

Smith joined Texas Wesleyan for the spring 2025 beach volleyball season while beginning her master’s in business administration. Her transition was unconventional: she lived off campus, took online classes and, as a graduate student, often played alongside freshmen. Rodriguez said her maturity quickly became an asset. 

“She helped me a lot, and everybody loved her at the end because she was kind of the grandma of the team, but she was taking care of everybody,” Rodriguez said. 

The Lady Rams finished the spring ranked No. 10 in the nation. When fall arrived, Smith moved to the indoor volleyball program. 

“It was different to come from a program that was middle of the path to a program that was at the top of the conference. And that was a big shock to me,” she said.

But her adjustment was smooth. Within weeks, she had earned the role of team captain. 

“I wasn’t expecting to become a captain. I was expecting just to come in and be a good teammate and play my part,” Smith said.

For her, that moment marked belonging—the feeling that Texas Wesleyan was exactly where she was meant to be. 

Alexandria Lee, a psychology and sociology senior who shares not only a birthday but also a long friendship with Smith, said her leadership was immediate and natural. 

“She was a leader from the get-go, honestly. She’s one of our captains and, she’s is in her first year on this program, specifically,” Lee said. “I think that she’s just like one of those people who’s naturally born and takes that position with an ease.”

Smith will soon complete her master’s degree and continue competing in the Dallas semi-professional volleyball league—a future that once seemed impossible. 

“She is going to do great things once she gets out of this program,” Lee said. “She’s just one of those people that it might not be easy, but she’s going to get it done. I’m super excited to see where she goes after this.”