By Michael Lindsay
Stone Memorial High School senior Hailee McDonald made her dream of college volleyball a reality Tuesday morning as she signed with Mary Baldwin University.
“I am so excited,” said McDonald. “I’ve waited for this day since I started playing volleyball. This is a huge accomplishment for myself and my family. ”
Mary Baldwin University is located in Staunton, VA, and is an NCAA Division III program that competes in the USA South Conference.
“Mary Baldwin has my graduate program,” said McDonald. “I didn’t want a huge school; I wanted to know my professors and not just be a number. The campus feels like home and I’m very excited to be there.”
McDonald recorded 609 kills and 155 aces in three years on varsity as an outside hitter for the Lady Panthers.
“She’s so talented not only athletically, but academically,” said Stone Memorial head coach Tori Permenter. “When you have somebody so driven and hard-working, it’s very easy as a coach. All I had to do was put her out there and tell college coaches how great she is. I’m so proud of her.”
“Stone definitely built my character,” added McDonald. “Not only as a player, but as a person. Coach Tori, coach Todd (Daugherty) and my teammates really formed me into who I am.”
McDonald plans to enter the physical therapy program while at Mary Baldwin.
“Both of my grandparents had rotator cuff surgery, so I was with them in physical therapy all the time,” said McDonald. “I got to talk to their therapists and it really interested me. You can change people’s lives through movement and health.”
