Crookston High School senior, Rachel Hefta, signed an NAIA letter of intent to attend and play volleyball at Hastings College in Hastings, Nebraska next year at a signing ceremony held at the Crookston High School Thursday afternoon. Rachel was named Crookston High School’s Athlete of the Year on Monday and continued her week by selecting and signing with Hastings College to advance her volleyball career. Hefta decided to attend Hastings even though their head coach Matt Buttermore was recently hired to become the new head coach at Division I Nebraska-Omaha and was relieved that the process is now over, “it’s very exciting, it’s also a big weight off my shoulders because its been such a long process trying to decide between two great schools.” Hefta added not knowing who her coach will be wasn’t going to deter her from the school she felt most comfortable with, “it’s a better climate than here, and it’s also a new adventure for me. I get to experience new people and be in a different state. That was important. It was more about the school than anything else. I knew that with the people that are on the team that I’ve met already and the great assistant coach that it would be a great decision no matter what I did.” Crookston Volleyball head coach Ashley Stope wasn’t surprised that Hefta earned the opportunity to play volleyball at the collegiate level, “Rachel walks in the gym every day to compete. She always wants to get better, and she’s done things on her own out of the normal practice time to make that happen. With her tenacity and determination, she’s become an amazing player that will keep progressing as she moves on to college.”
Located in Hastings, Nebraska, Hastings College won the 2016 NAIA National Championship and has reached the NAIA National Tournament in four of the last seven seasons.
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