For seniors, this time of year can be the most exciting and the most stressful. Making their last strides for their grades and rankings or waiting for acceptance letters and getting prepared to go off and start their new futures can be a stressful process. Two LC-M volleyball players, Darby Strother and Jade Piper, are officially taking those crucial steps in their careers as they sign their scholarships, binding them with their colleges.
For Strother, volleyball isn’t just a sport. She started playing when she was in 7th grade and it has been her escape ever since. Strother started playing because she looked up to someone who played and she hasn’t let anyone stop her.
“The most important thing volleyball taught me was I can either let others tell me I can’t, or prove to them I can,” Strother said.
Piper has also learned a lot from her six years of playing volleyball. Piper said she started playing because she was tall and wanted to be just like her sister who played volleyball. While she may not be her sister, she has accomplished many goals.
“My biggest challenge has been my competitiveness and realizing that winning is not the most important thing,” Piper said.
Strother has signed with Trinity Valley Community College and has been offered a 50 percent scholarship. Strother will major in Kinesiology, but she is also really looking forward to playing college ball.
“I’m most looking forward is getting a better education and furthering my volleyball career,” Strother said.
Piper signed with Seward County Community College in Liberal, Kansas. Seward has offered piper a full ride and Piper will be majoring in nursing. Piper said she is very excited and honored to play at the college level.
“A lesson I can take from high school and apply to college is that during tough times I have to stay positive and things will get better,” she said.