Senior Kaela Massey (Brentwood, Tennessee) has been a valuable player on the ETSU women’s volleyball team for the past four years. As she closes out her college career, she has become the winningest player in the history of the program and is entering this weekend’s conference tournament with 92 wins under her belt.
Massey started playing volleyball in sixth grade when she tried out for her school’s team.
“I played basketball growing up since I was like five, and my dad wanted me to try different sports, so he made me try out for the sixth grade volleyball team,” said Massey. “I remember just hysterically crying on the way there because I didn’t want to go, and I didn’t make the team. Of course, I was like, ‘Well now I want to play volleyball because I didn’t make it.’ My dad made me play volleyball, and now I love it.”
Massey came to ETSU through recruitment.
“Coach Devine was recruiting my setter that I played travel with at the time, so we both came on the visit together,” said Massey.
Massey loves the competitiveness of the game, especially the mental competitiveness and how strenuous the game is.
Out of her four years of college, she would say her most successful year was her junior year.
“We beat UT, Duke and Washington State who was ranked No. 21,” she said. “We were beating a bunch of ranked teams that we had never done before.”
This is Massey’s last year playing since she will be graduating.
“I will definitely miss my teammates, for sure,” said Massey. ‘It’s kind of like my outlet, so when I’m having a bad day or I’m frustrated or just anything emotional, volleyball has been the one thing that I can count on having.”
Massey is leaving behind a team of 11 underclassmen.
“Cherish it and work hard,” said Massey. “It flies by, and when you get to where I am right now, you don’t want to look back and have regrets on your seasons or how you practiced.”
Massey left the 2018-19 season with 228 kills, 18 assists, 23 service aces, 249 digs and 72 blocks. Massey was also named the SoCon offensive player of the week and named to the SoCon Fall Academic Team.
“I would tell any young kids thinking about college volleyball to do it, but only if you love it,” she said. “It is a lot of hard work and at some times you don’t want to be doing it, but it’s worth it if you love volleyball.”
Women’s volleyball will be competing in the SoCon Tournament quarterfinals on Nov. 22.
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