“You work your way to the top.”

That was the motto redshirt sophomore Halee Davis went by when she decided to forgo her volleyball scholarship at Broward College to play basketball as a walk-on at Florida Atlantic University.

Davis’ vocal presence and leadership abilities earned her the role of captain during her year at Broward.

Davis’ parents pushed her to do her best, both on and off the court. With their support, she ensured academics were her foremost priority while playing both basketball and volleyball throughout high school.

She was one of the top students in her class, maintaining a 3.2 grade point average in her senior year and making the honor roll in her freshman and senior years.

“They were my everything. They were there when I was down, when I wanted to quit but they supported me 100 percent,” said Davis. “They just had my back in life overall.”

Her mom had firsthand knowledge of how quickly an athletic career can change and how important an education can be. She was scheduled to participate in the Junior Olympics before an injury cost her the opportunity.

“She is a huge fighter,” Davis said.

Davis started playing basketball when she was just 4 years old, but fell out of love with the sport during her senior year of high school.

“Since I had been playing for so many years, I started playing traveling [basketball] a lot,” Davis said. “I had so much wear and tear in my body, I felt like it was a full-time job.”

It was then that Davis started focusing more on her other high school sport, volleyball.

She was a member of the Amateur Athletic Union/United States Specialty Sports Association state championship volleyball team that went to the 2010 USA Junior Nationals where she was named team MVP.

Davis attended Foundation Academy in Orlando — helping her volleyball team reach the state finals in 2013.

“It was a great feeling, because our school was so small and we were the first team to make it to state,” said Davis. “Everyone had our back and supported us through everything.”

After her high school days were over, Davis took her talents to the collegiate level.

Broward College opened its arms to Davis and offered her a full athletic scholarship to play volleyball.

However, after playing throughout the 2013-2014 season, she had a change of heart and decided to pursue her passion for basketball.

After taking a year off to practice and polish her skills, Davis became a walk-on at FAU and resolved to differentiate herself from the rest of the team through her ability to lead.

“A big thing for me was not only what could Halee bring on the court, but off the court as well,” said FAU women’s basketball head coach Kellie Lewis-Jay. “She is a great positive vibe for our team.”

The former volleyball captain in Davis still comes through as she pushes her teammates to improve every day through constant encouragement and support.

Aware of the team’s recent struggles — losing 10 of its last 11 games — Davis still has big hopes for the women’s basketball team, looking to make it to the Conference USA tournament.

Davis wants to open her own retail business when her collegiate playing days are over. She currently has her own online business selling clothes which she hopes to expand in the future.

For now, she just hopes to make it to see her favorite basketball player, Kobe Bryant, play live before he retires at the end of the season.