Greeneville senior Trudi Aiken has worked hard over the pastfour years at honing her skills on the volleyball court to earn a chance toplay at the next level, and on Wednesday she got that opportunity by signing withWalters State Community College.
Aiken follows in the footsteps of her sisters Jules and Edenwho played volleyball at Tusculum and Walters State respectively and continuingthat family legacy was important to her.
“It’s so exciting to sign today. It’s like everything I’ve workedfor for four years has come true. My middle school self would be so proud,”Aiken said. “It means a lot to me to be a college athlete. I look up to my sisters,and they played college volleyball. My mom was a college athlete, and it meansa lot to me to carry on that legacy. I feels good to know that I am good enoughto play at the next level after working so hard.”
Aiken was a standout setter for the Lady Devils this season,helping the team capture the District 1-AA championship. She led the LadyDevils with 38 aces and 427 assists, and she was third in digs with 158. For hercareer Aiken is fourth in Lady Devil history with 84 aces and fifth in careerassists with 606.
At Walters State Aiken plans to continue in that setterrole, a position she has grown to love in her prep career.
“I’m going in as a setter. We’ve talked a little bit aboutplaying defensive specialist as well because I’m pretty good at defense and servereceive,” Aiken said. “But I love that setter role because I am thequarterback, I am the brain of the team, and I get to touch the ball everysingle time. I feel like being a leader is in my nature, and I really likeplaying that role.”
Since starting up in 2012 the Walters State Volleyball programhas quickly become one of the best in the southeast and this past season theLady Senators went 27-7, winning the NJCAA Region 7 Championship and SoutheastB District Championship to advance to the NJCAA National Tournament.
In the past four seasons Walters State has won three regionchampionships and advanced to the national tournament twice.
“Going somewhere where I could win was very important to me.That’s what I want to do. Going into to winning program is exciting because itgives the opportunity to get on the floor and accomplish big things,” Aikensaid.
Aiken’s sister Eden just finished her second season WaltersState and Trudi felt like that additional insight and familiarity into theprogram made her college decision easier. She also knows that the college gamewill be more challenging, and she plans to spend the offseason working on herexplosiveness to get ready for the faster play and bigger hitters at the nextlevel.
“I feel like I have to work on my explosiveness and power.Because I’m an undersized setter I have to work two times as hard to get theball across the court,” Aiken said. “That makes strength and technique thatmuch more important.”
While she is looking forward to joining the Lady SenatorsAiken is also optimistic about the possibility of playing at a four-year schooldown the road. After a recent court ruling pursued by Vanderbilt quarterback DiegoPavia, she could even play four more years at an NCAA institution.
Aiken plans to study to become a dental hygienist.
