June 15, 2007 - When I started my
2006/2007 club season in September, I knew a stressful time would come
when I would have to seriously consider all of my options for
post-secondary education and volleyball. For me, the real battle
this year was deciding whether I wanted to stay in my homeland,
Canada, to play volleyball, or to venture out to the US, where I have
wanted to play NCAA ball since moving from Colorado in 2003.
There were many things for me to consider: How far away from
home I would be? Are the coaches going to challenge me... or
even play me? Is the competition going to be challenging?
Is it a good location with nice people? These questions and more
were considerations I needed to take into account.
As spring rolled around, I started to make
plans for some "official visits," to get a real taste for the
schools that interested me. To begin, I headed to Toronto again -
not for a tournament - but this time to learn more about the school
that I was considering to attend for the next four years of my life.
Kristine and Doug showed Erin, Sarah, and me everything we needed to
know about the University of Toronto. We even got "VIP" status when some team
members and me were able to look into the experimentation labs.
We also learned about all the secret areas of the school that were
prime quiet areas for studying. Vivian Chan and another teammate made
us comfy beds on the floor of their residence and let us stay there
for the night, even though they were in the middle of midterms.
The people at U of T did an outstanding job making us feel welcome,
which helped to make my decision even more
challenging.
After the Martin Luther King Kick Off
Classic in Philly, I had been talking with coach Paul Koncir of Towson University. At first, I had never even heard of the
Towson Tigers. As the weeks went by, I inquired more about
Towson and came to learn that it fit a lot of my needs: It's just ten
minutes outside the big city of Baltimore, Maryland; it has 19,000
students; it's an NCAA Division 1 school that needed a setter for next
year; and it's within a day's drive from Ottawa, or a short one-hour
flight from Ottawa to Washington. After weighing all of these
considerations, it was time for another official visit. Just two
days after competing in the Capitol Hill Volleyball Classic in
Washington, I was headed back south to visit Towson University in
Maryland.
Head coach Paul Koncir had an exciting
itinerary set up for the following two days. I met with all of
the important people and ate at some of Towson's "hot spots".
Over the course of my visit, I was able to get to know the girls on
the team. I stayed with Missy Rorbaugh and Alysha Fanning, both sophomores
(second year) on the team. The trip really allowed me to get a taste
of what the University was like, and how life in the States would be
again. After lunch at The Cheesecake Factory in
Baltimore, I headed back to icy Canada. A delayed flight in
Baltimore stranded me for the night in Detroit. To make matters
worse, my luggage was lost, only to show up 24 hours later at
home.
It was now time to make one of the hardest
decisions of my life. There were so many different opportunities
at Toronto and Towson. After weeks of consideration, I had come
up with a decision. Paul came down for a visit in early March to
meet with my family and me. We had supper at the Vineyard in the
market and, by the end of the meal, I had given him a verbal
commitment to attend Towson. I had made up my mind and,
although I know I am leaving behind many fantastic opportunities here
in Canada, I also know that I have made an excellent choice with
Towson.
I am so grateful for everyone who has
helped me grow and achieve all that I could be. I could not have
done this on my own. I am leaving the National Capitals knowing
that I am leaving behind not only the best team and coaches I've ever
played with, but my best friends. I love you girls, Cathy and
Matt. You have helped make me who I am today. I will
always remember you and cherish the times I had with you
all.
- Katee Luecke
