Playing volleyball came naturally to Senior Lucy McCollum. Paired with her competitive spirit, that talent has earned her a spot at Division 1 college, Ball State University.
Lucy played multiple sports such as gymnastics and basketball, but volleyball was the one that stuck with her.
“It just felt more natural to play,” Lucy said.
Her sisters, Natalie and Chloe McCollum, also play volleyball. Natalie quit due to an injury, but Chloe, being the youngest, was influenced by her sisters’ sport of choice.
“It also just gave me something to do and a level to relate to them. Playing it helps me stay close to my sisters,” Chloe said.
Lucy’s persistent mentality inspires Chloe to continue playing.
“She doesn’t show her emotions and it makes her feel like a very strong person, at least in my eyes,” Chloe said. “It makes me want to be like that and have a cool tone.”
Another part of Lucy that her coach, Alexis Blake, admires, is her drive to play.
“She doesn’t come out of the game, so she is running around 3-5 sets each match,“ Coach Blake said. “It is not only physically exhausting, but mentally exhausting. Even when her body is in pain, she pushes herself to the limits”.
Being a competitive player, Lucy is hard on herself when it comes to her own mistakes. When things get emotionally difficult after games, she has Chloe by her side.
“After we lost to Portage last week, that was a game we really wanted to win, and she was frustrated with things that she thought she could have done better or played better,” Chloe said. “Just coming home and saying ‘Man, I wish I could have done this better’. I guess I helped her get over it.”
Along with her sister, the entire team loves to support each other, which helps when games get rough.
“Volleyball is such a mental game so it’s nice to have a hype woman by your side,” Coach Blake said.
Throughout the year, Lucy has put her efforts toward her team, which made them one of her favorite parts of playing volleyball in high school. Despite this, she still has a whole new team to look forward to playing with at Ball State.
“When I went on the visit I knew I wanted to go there,” Lucy said, “I liked all the people there and all the coaches, too.”
Starting off, Lucy had a quiet demeanor, but watching her play speaks for itself. She hopes to at least be able to play all throughout her freshman year at Ball State.
“Any player can come in and be super shy, but this game has a way of bringing people together and allowing others to be who they truly are,” Coach Blake said.
