All-American Sammi Phegley (Alex Greenlee/The Current)
Longview Laker Sammi Phegley has been named second team All-American. The news came as a surprise to the freshman setter.
“I didn’t think I was going to get it, so when we were at the banquet and coach Rob Kaleikau said my name, my jaw dropped to the floor. I was so surprised,” she said.
Phegley started playing volleyball in Texas. “I’ve been playing volleyball since fourth grade and I started out playing Catholic Youth Organization, which is somewhat competitive,” she said. When Phegley was a freshman in high school, she and her family moved to the small town of West Plains, Mo.
Since she is only 5 feet 7 inches tall, Phegley has always been at a height disadvantage. “You cannot give up and you always have to have a positive attitude, you have to be able to trust your teammates and trust they will do their job so you can do yours,” she said.
Phegley said she thinks her height might cause her problems in the future. “I want to play at a higher level, but I think my height is at a disadvantage to me because normally everyone that plays in a big college is over 5 foot 10 inches tall,” she said.
Phegley says she couldn’t have won the award without her team and coach. “I’m also very proud that my teammates all believe in us and that they never gave up. After we won regionals and were going to nationals, the look on my coach’s face was pure happiness and I knew he was very proud of us. You could tell coach felt great about his accomplishments as coach,” she said.
January 17, 2012
Sports