When Hurricane Maria devastated Puerto Rico on Sept. 20, 2017,
Alexa Rivera was a 15-year-old high school junior.
The Category 5 storm, the worst to ever hit the U.S. territory, killed 3,059 residents of the island and plunged 95 percent of Puerto Rico into darkness without electricity for weeks.
"It was scary," Rivera said. "We had no electricity and no water. Part of my school was destroyed."
Soon after, Rivera decided to leave her native land and move with her aunt and godparents in Jersey City. After all, her father, Luis Rivera, lived in Jersey City for most of his life and her mother, Angelica Varela, was born in New York and lived for a while in Bayonne.
"It was really tough for me to leave after the hurricane," Rivera said. "I have a really close relationship with my parents and didn't want to leave them. But it would really be good for me in terms of getting a good education. The schools in Puerto Rico were pretty bad."
But they were good enough for Rivera to learn how to speak English very well.
"I learned a lot of my English from my parents," Rivera said. "We spoke English at home all the time."
When Rivera moved to Jersey City, she enrolled at Hudson Catholic, which had a very good up-and-coming volleyball squad, one of the best teams in all of New Jersey. Rivera fit right in with the Hawks, who won their fourth straight Hudson County Tournament title and advanced to the NJSIAA North Jersey Non-Public Group 1 sectional title match, losing to Union Catholic.
Rivera was good enough to get recruited by a number of colleges and was on the verge of signing with Albertus Magnus in Connecticut.
"I went to visit there and was just about to sign," Rivera said. "But then Dan (Kim, the assistant coach at Rutgers-Newark) called me and told me not to sign."
Kim, who coached Rivera in club volleyball and is the head coach at Livingston High School, knew that Rivera could help the Scarlet Raiders – even if Rutgers-Newark head coach
Megan Knott had no idea who Rivera was.
"Dan was confident that Alexa could step right into
Cassie Luken's spot," Knott said.
Luken, a four-year starter for the Scarlet Raiders, graduated last June, leaving the Scarlet Raiders in search of a new outside hitter. "I trusted Dan. He was able to see her play a lot and knew she would be a good fit."
So Fernando Colon, the head coach at Hudson Catholic, took Rivera on a visit to Rutgers-Newark.
"I liked it," Rivera said. "It was close to home and I was going to be able to receive a good education at Rutgers-Newark."
And as everyone should know, a degree from Rutgers-Newark is the same as the degree one might receive in Piscataway. There is no difference.
Rivera wanted to study biology with the hope of going to medical school one day. And the Scarlet Raiders' volleyball program has been on the rise since the arrival of Knott four years ago.
"I knew the program was good," Rivera said. "I liked the volleyball team. It was good for me."
So Rivera decided to attend Rutgers-Newark instead of the school in the Nutmeg State. And she fit right in, as Kim predicted and as Knott realized.
"Alexa just had to realize that college volleyball is played on a higher level," Knott said. "But she was able to do it. She's very consistent. I don't have to worry about her. And she plays all six rotations, so she's very versatile. Offensively and defensively, she's amazing."
Rivera likes not having one position on the floor.
"I liked playing all over," Rivera said. "I'm active. I'm focused and supportive. I'm a team player. I like the way I fit in. Volleyball is my passion. I'll play wherever they put me."
Rivera is currently second on the team to senior
Comfort Akinbo in total points with 228, second in kills, also to Akinbo, with 190 and second on the team to captain
Karly Gregoire in service aces with 32. Rivera leads the team in total attacks with 682.
Because Rivera is shorter than most outside hitters (Rivera is listed at 5-foot-8), Knott said that the coaching staff is working with Rivera to do different things at the net.
"Because she's a smaller hitter, she's more deceptive," Knott said. "She's hitting the ball smartly and away from defenders. She's also very quick to the ball and has a fast arm swing."
And Rivera's intelligence has helped her advance as a volleyball player.
"She has a high volleyball IQ," Knott said. "She can anticipate plays and knows where the ball is going."
Rivera likes the relationship she enjoys with Akinbo.
"When we're on the court, we always help each other," Rivera said.
"Comfy is always supportive. I always tell Comfy where to hit the ball. Outside the court, we have a good relationship as well."
The Scarlet Raiders own an 11-7 record as the season begins to wind down.
"I really think if we work hard, if we are focused, we can beat anybody," Rivera said.
Needless to say, Rivera is pleased she made the late choice to attend RU-N.
"I'm really happy I made the decision to come to Rutgers-Newark," Rivera said. "It was the right choice for me."
And it's the right choice for the Scarlet Raiders.
"I'm very excited to have Alexa with us for the next three years," Knott said. "She can become an even better player."
