Covering thousands of athletes around the country not only gave me a great deal of inspiration as to what to name my child (hello, Annies of the world!) but I also run across names that make me stop and think, “How fitting that she is a volleyball player!” There are several out there, surely more than I could write about here.

I loved having a unique name, with a maiden name Bâby (pronounced “Bobby,” though later in my life people seemed to think “Baby” was cuter and fun and I grew tired of correcting them). I hope these athletes appreciate the irony, wit, and coolness of their names, too.

Beware! You might find yourself rolling your eyes at my stretched effort…