6’4 hitter from
Ontario, California is rated one of the nation’s top recruits
Carly DeHoog
figures she got into the game a little late. No one recruited her until halfway
through her sophomore year at Southern California’s Ontario Christian High
School.
Carly DeHoog displays her National Letter of Intent to attend the University of Washington -Chino Champion |
“Some girls are looked at their freshman year,” she says. “Colleges
kind of have their eye on them by then. I was a couple months behind other
girls.”
Not that DeHoog wasn’t interested in sports. It’s just that
volleyball wasn’t always her first choice.
“When I was in middle school, I really wanted to be a
big-time softball pitcher,” she says. “I had an opportunity to be good—I took
pitching lessons.”
But she kept growing taller—she’s now six-foot-four—and
decided to try basketball and volleyball. She made her high school varsity
basketball and softball teams as a freshman, and played on a noncompetitive
club volleyball team in her spare time. Eventually, volleyball won her heart.
“It’s kind of hard to say exactly what it is,” DeHoog says. “In
volleyball, I wanted to get better. In basketball and softball, I wanted to be
good, but part of it was always social. I wanted to hang out with my friends.
“But, with volleyball, I realized I had an opportunity to
get to be a high level player. That’s something I really wanted to work for. I
enjoy competing. With volleyball, there wasn’t any time when I didn’t want to
work on it.
“Volleyball’s more of a team sport. In softball, you’re out
on an island to pitch. You’re out by yourself. It’s a slower-paced game. The
speed and the adrenaline rush you get in volleyball is much more appealing to
me.”
By her junior year, DeHoog was a certified volleyball prospect,
and Washington was one of the first
colleges to pay serious attention.
“I really knew nothing about Washington’s program,” she
remembers, “other than, in general, they were pretty good.”
Traditional powers like Florida,
Tennessee and even Stanford showed interest. But with an
aunt and a great-aunt both living in Western Washington, she decided to include
UW on her list of unofficial visits. She was hooked.
“The coaches, the girls, the campus,” she says. “No other
school really compared to how much I liked Washington.”
After committing to Washington, she had a monster senior
year. PrepVolleyball.com rated her
one of the top-20 high school seniors in the nation. Watching the Huskies
complete another Top-10 season (they finished ninth in the coaches’ and media
polls) only reinforced her decision to sign a National Letter of Intent.
“Jim (McLaughlin’s)
coaching style is very appealing. He pushes the girls. They really look at
their technique on film. He helps the girls in college—and after college, too—to
help them be successful.”
DeHoog also knows that McLaughlin has no reservations about
letting freshmen compete for spots in the starting lineup. Two of this year’s
freshmen—Katy Beals and Cassie Strickland—were starters most of
the season, and two others—Melanie Wade
and Lianna Sybeldon—saw significant
time on the court.
“I definitely appreciate that,” DeHoog says. “I want to do
whatever he wants me to do, whatever will benefit the team.”
See also: Bailey Tanner lives with--and learns from--a legend
See also: Bailey Tanner lives with--and learns from--a legend
Wonderful to know that coaches early eye on young talent is yielding rewards. Great to see you as a Husky Carly!
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