A New But Familiar Leap

Written by: William Warren & Ryan Sauline

Orange: The Experience Magazine | V17 , Issue 3

Bianca Martinez has shown remarkable resilience and adaptability on her path to becoming an ACC indoor high jump qualifier this past season. After three years of competing on the volleyball court, the senior made the bold decision to return to her athletic roots for her final year of eligibility, transitioning back to the high jump for Clemson’s Track & Field program. The move required qualities that have defined her athletic journey from the beginning: courage, patience, and a willingness to start over.

A four-sport athlete in high school, Martinez grew up surrounded by athletics and was drawn to sports at an early age. “I started playing in the second grade…watching my dad and my older sister play was what drew me to sports,” she said. That early exposure sparked a competitive drive that shaped her identity, fueling her desire to excel in every environment she entered. Whether she was on the volleyball court, the track, or the basketball court, she carried the same determination to push herself beyond expectations.

Martinez credits the team’s culture for success at the ACC Indoor Championships. The environment she stepped into was one defined by unity and accountability. “Being a part of the track team…you can just see how much they care about each other and how familylike it is,” she said. That sense of belonging helped ease her transition back into a sport she had not competed in since high school.

Although she excelled in multiple sports growing up, track always felt natural to her. “I was kind of thrown in, and I just did it for fun, but I ended up being really good at it,” she said. As a freshman in high school, she qualified for the state meet, entered seeded 18th, and finished third—an early sign of her raw talent. Volleyball, she noted, required more deliberate effort to reach the same level of success. “I’ve always had to work pretty hard at it to get where I’ve gotten,” she said, acknowledging the different learning curves of the two sports.

That work ethic carried her to the collegiate level, where she built a strong volleyball career at Cal State Fullerton, earning 2022 Big West All-Freshman honors before transferring to Clemson. In 2025, she appeared in 13 matches, recording 20 kills and seven blocks. But after her final volleyball season ended, she felt something was missing. “I’m someone who likes to work toward something…so I was just like, ‘Why not?’” she said. The desire for a new yet familiar challenge pushed her to explore the possibility of rejoining the track team.

She reached out within the athletic department to gauge whether a comeback was possible, and soon after, she officially rejoined the program as a high jumper for the 2025–26 season. The transition was swift. One moment she was finishing her last volleyball match, and the next she was stepping back onto the track for the first time in four years. The shift required not only physical adjustment but also a mental reset as she reacquainted herself with the technical demands of the event.

“Track shape and volleyball shape are very different,” Martinez said. Relearning the event required patience, physical recalibration, and trust in her athletic instincts. She leaned heavily on her teammates and coaches as she worked to regain her rhythm. The process was humbling at times, but it also reminded her of why she loved the sport in the first place.

The biggest difference between high school and collegiate high jump, she said, was the level of competition. “Everyone you’re competing against is a really good, established athlete,” she explained. Instead of being intimidated, Martinez used the challenge as motivation. Surrounded by one of the nation’s strongest track and field units, she adapted quickly to the heightened intensity, gaining confidence with each meet. The more she competed, the more she felt herself returning to form.

As she settled back into the event, Martinez focused on refining technical elements such as her runup, approach, and knee drive. “People think it’s just jumping…but it’s not,” she said. “It’s very technical, and there’s so much that goes into it—your steps, your approach, staying away from the bar, driving your knee.” The precision required in high jump was something she had to rebuild from the ground up, but she embraced the challenge with the same determination that had carried her through her volleyball career.

Her training evolved throughout the season. Early on, she worked through modified workouts as her body readjusted. As the indoor season progressed, the intensity increased, especially during the transition to outdoor training. “Our lifts got heavier, and the way we were running and the jumps we were taking ramped up,” she said. Now in the outdoor season, the team has begun to deload to stay fresh for competition. The gradual progression helped her regain strength and confidence without overwhelming her body.

Her hard work paid off at the ACC Indoor Championships, where she cleared 1.67 meters (5’ 5.75”), earning a top-10 finish. “I didn’t have a lot of expectations coming in,” she said. “Just being able to qualify and be there meant a lot to me.” The moment validated her decision to return to the sport and proved that her potential in high jump remained intact despite the years away.

With the indoor season behind her, Martinez now turns her attention to outdoor competition. With a full season of training under her belt, she enters this phase with renewed confidence and a clear sense of purpose. Her goals are ambitious but attainable: “I want to qualify for outdoor ACCs and be able to score a point…and hopefully make it to [NCAA] regionals,” she said.

After stepping away from high jump for four years, Martinez’s return has already been a success. But for her, the journey is far from over. She continues to embrace the challenge, driven by the same competitive spirit that first pulled her into sports as a child. Her story is one of rediscovery, resilience, and the belief that it is never too late to return to what you love.