MENDON — Alicyn Arevalo knew she wanted to keep playing volleyball. It took her a little bit of time to finally get things figured out, but ultimately she made the decision to follow up on an opportunity.
That chance came with Glen Oaks Community College, where Arevalo will continue her academic and volleyball careers. Arevalo is a member of the early-middle college offered by GOCC, which means she will graduate officially from high school and the community college at the same time.
"I am looking forward to new opportunities, new challenges and just seeing what happens," she said. "There will be new obstacles as well."
Kenny Herbert, Mendon volleyball coach, said the program will obviously be sad to see Arevalo go. She played a major role for the Hornets over the past few seasons, he said, and replacing her will not be an easy task.
But, on a positive note, Herbert said that Arevalo's attributes should transfer well to the next level.
"Her competitiveness and willing to continue to get better will help her," he said. "Her love of the game will translate as well. She was undecided after the season, but I think she really missed the sport and being around it. I think that passion for the game will have her go a long way."
Tracy Sterling, the Vikings' volleyball coach, had plenty of positive things to say about Arevalo when she officially signed with the school. Sterling said she was impressed with Arevalo's ability to do what it asked of her no matter where that involves her playing.
"She's very adaptable to our offense and she does a lot of things well," Sterling said. "I like how she is willing to be whatever we need. We want her as a middle (hitter) and that is where we plan for her to be, but she's also versatile and can play in other spots for us."
Both Arevalo and Sterling said they felt like the chemistry between them was solid even though they have known each other for only a short time. The fact her new coach has communications with her and the team and talks to them with respect was a big selling point.
"I really like her energy and how talkative she is with her team," Arevalo said of Sterling. "I feel like she could be your friend but also can be hard on you as a coach."
When it comes to her studies, Arevalo said she has aspirations of being a cosmetologist. There will be other schools which have that specific program and she plans to transfer at some point in her future, but for now she will continue to do what she needs to at Glen Oaks.
She will miss her times at Mendon. The Hornet gym was always packed with people watching them play. That energy, including the student section, will always hold a special place for Arevalo.
"I loved the environment, it was special," she said. "It's kind of say to me that it's over."
Arevalo said she plans to continue to live at home while attending GOCC. She is looking forward to meeting new friends, new people and having newer opportunities at the next level.
And, she has a chance to continue to play a sport which she loves.
"I'm just really happy that I can play again, I'm happy I can continue to play the sport that I love," she said.
Contact Sports Editor Brandon Watson at bwatson@gannett.com. Follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter, @BwatsonSJ.
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