Gate City’s Bays commits to Bucs volleyball

GATE CITY, Va. (WJHL) – On Monday, the VHSL’s all-time leader in kills officially committed to stick close to home for the next step in her volleyball career.

Makayla Bays signed her National Letter of Intent to play for ETSU beginning this fall.

Bays was a dominant outside hitter for the Blue Devils for four seasons, being named a VHSL Class 2 All-State selection in each of them. She surpassed 2,000 kills in her high school career this past season – the most in the state of Virginia for a career – while earning 2023 Class 2 Player of the Year honors.

Gate City made a trip to at least the state quarterfinals in each of the last four seasons, as well.

There were a handful of Division I offers on the table for Bays during the recruiting process. For a time, she thought she might attend school in California.

But, a late call from the ETSU staff swayed her decision.

“Since the new coaching change – Coach Devine, she reached out to me,” Bays said of the newly-hired Bucs head coach. “I wasn’t interested in ETSU, really. But, I saw this opportunity and God opened a door. So, I went on a visit and automatically loved it.”

“Talking to them I could tell that they really wanted me and knew that I would make an impact on the program,” she continued. “I know as soon as I get on campus, I’m going to work my butt off to be on the court.”

Bays has been around the college game since she was little, as her mom, Doneva Bays, is the longtime head volleyball coach at Milligan University.

“It’s definitely going to be different than high school,” Makayla said. “It’s going to be eat, sleep, breathe volleyball and repeat, basically. It’s going to be a lot of hard work – but I can do it.”

She hopes to study business or entrepreneurship in her time at ETSU.

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