NEW WASHINGTON — A friend said of Parker Phenicie that she “eats, sleeps and dreams volleyball.”
That pretty much sums it up.
The Buckeye Central libero has spent the last few years playing with Mintonette Sports Volleyball Club as well as playing with the Buckettes in the fall.
Her dedication has paid off in a big way.
Phenicie signed her letter of intent with Division I Jacksonville State in Alabama in a signing ceremony in New Washington Wednesday night.
Jacksonville State, in Jacksonville, Ala., was watching Phenicie last club season and went after her, despite never coming to New Washington to watch her play.
“During the process, the Division I dead period shut down, so it was tough on a lot of us during the recruiting process,” Phenicie said. “The first tournament they were allowed to come to was actually in Columbus. They went to that, and they watched me play and they got in contact with me.”
She added that coming to New Washington would have been too late in the process, that recruiting during the summer is best.
“(Jacksonville State) went to a bunch of club tournaments and we had some in Georgia and we went and played in Las Vegas, and they watched a lot of those,” Phenicie added.
Jacksonville State coach Todd Garvey said of Phenicie on the school’s website, “I love how quick Parker is defensively and her versatility of being able to play any back-row spot. She also has a tremendous serve and is very consistent in serve receive. Parker has all the intangibles that we look for off the court such as being a hard worker, great leader, and teammate, coachable, and driven.”
At Buckeye Central, Phenicie, who played libero, so she never left the back row, was second-team All-Northern 10 Athletic Conference as a sophomore. As a senior, she led the N10 in serves (0.82), second in digs (5.10), and fifth in serves received (0.943). The Buckettes were 14-0 in the N10, 23-2 overall, and Phenicie finished as a first-team All-N10 performer.
“She was huge,” BC coach Missy McDougal said. “Every play starts with a pass and she’s a phenomenal passer. She’s the one that started every play. She also provided leadership to the back row, and it all started with her.”
McDougal also added that Jacksonville State got a great addition in Phenicie.
“She’s going to do fine,” McDougal said. “It’s a big jump to Division I but she plays nationally in club volleyball against phenomenal players also. She has played with some really good players. She’s going to go in there and compete and really work hard at being stronger and quicker. She will do fine.
“Everyone, when you’re a senior, has work to do to get bigger and stronger,” McDougal added. “But she is one of the best workers I’ve ever seen, and she’ll work to compete there.”
Phenicie said that Canisius University in New York, Eastern Michigan, and Rhode Island were also in the running to get her.
“I really liked them but then I just decided to stop with the process because I knew what the best fit was,” Phenicie added.
She said when she went to Alabama on a visit, she immediately fell in love with the school.
“I didn’t necessarily want to go that far (to Alabama), but I wanted to go out of state, but the coaches and the environment were very good,” Phenicie said.
“I always wanted to go to a warmer state, I don’t like Ohio weather at all. But I like a warm state. But I also have a chance to try beach (volleyball) and they might have me do that in my first year there. I was looking for an opportunity that would be really good.”
Phenicie added that her club team pushed her to Division I schools.
“It’s an hour-and-a-half one way to practice three or four times a week down in Columbus so I was really thankful for my parents,” she said. “There was one point in the summer that we were doing four-hour practices, so I was thankful for every opportunity we had.