Growing up, I was always the tallest kid in class. Even in high school I towered over everyone. I was insecure about my height and often got bullied throughout my grade school days. It wasn’t until I started to play volleyball in middle school that I found out being tall wasn’t that bad after all.
I first stepped on the volleyball court when I was in 6th grade and quickly fell in love with it. My 8th grade year I decided that I wanted to play college volleyball. Being from Kadoka, SD, I lacked opportunities that a lot of athletes in bigger cities get, but I did not let that stop me. I did everything I could to get better in hopes of being noticed by a college coach. I was the first player in the gym and the last player to leave the gym. I played all summer and went to as many volleyball camps as I could. I learned to lift weights and made huge gains athletically, especially toward my vertical. Instead of playing basketball my freshman year of high school, I started playing club volleyball for Black Hills Juniors in Rapid City, SD, and continued to play throughout my high school career. I was playing volleyball year-round, high school volleyball in the fall and club volleyball in the winter/spring. By playing all the time I increased my volleyball IQ, court awareness, and bettered my skills.
It was not until the summer of 2016, between my junior and senior year, that my dreams came true, and my hard work paid off. Northern State University’s Head Volleyball Coach Brent Aldridge was doing a volleyball camp in Philip, SD. This is a neighboring town, so I decided to give it a shot. Being 6’3’’ and athletic I caught his attention right away. I killed it in the camp and afterwards he texted me asking me where I was in my recruiting process. I signed a Letter of Intend to play for the Wolves in November and then the following fall (2017) headed to Aberdeen, SD to start my freshman year of college. Coming from a small school, the speed of game at the college level was definitely a shock, so I decided to red shirt my freshmen year. I was trained as a middle blocker and learned so much playing with such a talented team- many of the players at the time became AVCA All-Americans. NSU was ranked 7th nationally for NCAA DII volleyball and that season we made our appearance in the NCAA National Volleyball Tournament.
I had an amazing experience playing for NSU and played some of the best volleyball of my life, however NSU just was not the right college for me, and they did not have my intended major, so I made the decision to transfer. In the spring of 2018, I transferred to Central Wyoming College, a DI junior college in Riverton, WY. Being a ranch girl, I needed to be in the west and around horses. While at CWC I majored in Equine science/management and played volleyball for the Rustlers. I played for one year at CWC and then had to step away from the team my sophomore year due to some knee injuries. I took a year off from volleyball to focus on school and rehabbing my knees. I knew I still wanted to play volleyball at the next school I went to, so I kept in shape and sent out my highlight video.
In the spring of 2020, I graduated with my Associates in Equine Management from CWC and signed to play volleyball for Dickinson State University. Currently, I am a sophomore on the court, and middle blocker for Head Coach Jennifer Willis and the Blue Hawks. In the classroom, I am a senior and majoring in Rangeland Management. I plan to graduate with my Bachelor’s degree in Rangeland Management and play out the rest of my collegiate eligibility years. I have found my home away from home here in Dickinson, ND. I love the community and the culture at DSU. The DSU Agricultural building is so welcoming and close knit! As for volleyball, I finally found my perfect match, they say third time is a charm! I love my team so much, and everything we stand for. Coach Willis is amazing and has made getting back into volleyball after a year off easy for me. Our team comes ready to work hard every day in the classroom, gym, and weight room. But what I love most about my team is the way we face adversity. We have had several injuries and the ups and downs of playing during the pandemic, but never once did we hang our heads or even think about giving less than our best every day. The Blue Hawk volleyball team is incredible, and I am so excited for what the future holds.
At the end of the day, playing collegiate volleyball has taken me on a crazy journey, but I have met so many incredible people and learned great lessons along the way. I learned that no matter what happens you never ever give up! A strong work ethic is everything. It will get you just about anywhere you want to go. Players should always give 110% in whatever they do. In being a student-athlete, I was required to learn time management skills. Most importantly I learned the value of teamwork, and that you are nothing without a strong team backing you up. My advice to any high school girls out there who wants to play college volleyball- Never ever give up no matter how hard it gets; always work hard in everything you do and be a great teammate who uplifts and encourages.
HAWKS ARE UP!