McMasters Makes Tough Call To Play Volleyball At Lee

Standout Also Excelled At Basketball At Grace Baptist

  • Friday, April 29, 2016
  • Larry Fleming
Two-sport star Claire McMasters (seated second from right) signed a volleyball scholarship with Lee University at a ceremony held in the Grace Baptist Academy gym Friday morning. McMasters was joined by her parents, Tommy and Melinda, brother Clayton and Grace volleyball coach Hillary Watters (standing).
Two-sport star Claire McMasters (seated second from right) signed a volleyball scholarship with Lee University at a ceremony held in the Grace Baptist Academy gym Friday morning. McMasters was joined by her parents, Tommy and Melinda, brother Clayton and Grace volleyball coach Hillary Watters (standing).
photo by Larry Fleming
Grace Baptist Academy two-sport standout Claire McMasters envisioned playing basketball and volleyball at a small college after her career ended with the Lady Golden Eagles.

So, she “looked at” Covenant College and Maryville College as two schools where she thought that would be possible to extend her two-sport status.

McMasters’ recruiting shifted quickly once Lee University volleyball got into the recruiting process.

However, the 6-foot-2 McMasters didn’t give the Lady Flames much thought at first.

“I really didn’t get much in the way of offers for basketball,” she said prior to her signing ceremony in the school gymnasium in front of teammates, fellow students, friends and relatives. “When Lee first started contacting me, I threw it under the bus because I wanted to play both sports so bad.”

Deeper and deeper into recruiting McMasters realized she was headed toward making a tough choice about her status as a student-athlete at the college level.

“I found out my major (sports management) would be offered for the first time at Lee University in the fall,” said McMasters, who scored 1,116 points in basketball. “I realized I probably couldn’t play both sports at that level and I was going to have to pick one. Lee had the most to offer me. They saw me as a student first and athlete second.

“So, I picked Lee and volleyball.”

Good choices.

Lady Flames volleyball coach Andrea Hudson is 776-283 in 25 seasons and oversaw the transition from NAIA to NCAA Division II and the Gulf South Conference in 2013.

In that first year, Lee went 22-11 overall and 12-6 in the GSC (third place), won the Mid-East Region tournament and placed fourth in the national tournament.

The Lady Flames went to the NAIA national semifinals three straight years from 2009-11. In 2010, Lee was ranked No. 1 in NAIA volleyball.

Hudson won her 700th game in August 2012.

Division II and the GSC has been challenging for the Lady Flames, who posted a 13-17 record this past season.

For the time being, knowing the academic and athletic challenges she will be facing, McMasters will concentrate on volleyball, but isn’t ready to slam the door on giving both sports a try at some point in the future.

“I’ve talked to girls who have done both and I know it would be very hard and challenging,” McMasters said. “So, this first year I’ll see how one sport goes. Maybe playing both could be possible in the future.”

McMasters reputation as a kill specialist took time to establish. She had 14 as a freshman and the total jumped to 390 her sophomore year. As a junior, she recorded 336 and finished with 462 as a senior.

In four seasons with coach Hillary Watters, McMasters recorded 1,202 kills, 247 blocks and 126 aces. The Lady Eagles and lost to Sale Creek, 3-1, in the Region 3-A semifinals, according to coacht.com’s website.

“Claire has been a phenomenal athlete from the time she stepped into high school at Grace,” Watters said. “She’s a one of a kind athletic and student and I know she can contribute immediately to the Lee University program as either a middle hitter or outside hitter.

“She loves and has a passion for both sports. Lee has been a good program for a long time and coach Hudson has built a dynasty up there. I used to play against her when I was at Tennessee Temple. Claire loved the atmosphere at Lee, the coaches and players. She knew Lee would be a good fit for her.”

Under coach Roger Edwards, Grace basketball upset top-seed Arts & Sciences, but lost to Boyd-Buchanan in the District 5-A basketball championship and dropped a 62-60 decision to Marion County in the Region 3-A tournament.

Edwards was the Lady Eagles’ head coach during McMasters’ junior and senior seasons. Les Compton, who is also the school’s athletic director, was the head coach the two previous seasons and is still a girls’ assistant.

“She’s the rare athlete that had her best games at the biggest moments,” Edwards said. “Your best player also has to be the best teammate and she was a great leader. In our last three games, Claire had the best games of her career when we needed her the most. It was incredible.

“Good players don’t always step up, but the great ones do. Claire was a heck of a basketball player. She hit four 3s in each of those final three games against CSAS, Boyd-Buchanan and Marion County. We’re going to miss her. It’s hard to replace 20 points and 15 rebounds a game.”

Compton has been around McMasters as a coach and AD and watched her develop athletically for seven years, including three at Grace Middle School.

“She went from a hesitant freshman that didn’t realize all of the potential she possessed to someone at the end of her career was maximizing her potential,” Compton said. “She probably improved more in her senior year as she did the previous three combined. This was a crowning season for her as she reaped the rewards of the investment she made the previous three years.”

With her senior year winding down, McMasters can concentrate on her future as a student-athlete at Lee University.

“It’s nice to know what’s ahead of me over the next four years,” she said. “I feel really good about picking Lee University. I’m satisfied with my choice and I’m looking forward to it.”

McMasters followed her two brothers, Carter and Clayton, to Grace Academy and the family name became synonymous with Golden Eagles athletics. Clayton was able to attend his sister’s signing ceremony.

(Contact Larry Fleming at larryfleming44@gmail.com and on Twitter @larryfleming44)

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