Grace Baptist volleyball star Miriam Horne signed a scholarship to Life University on Thursday. Seated, left to right, mother Kim, sister Alexis, Miriam and Life University coach Steve Wilcosky. Standing, Patrick, Miriam's father.
photo by Larry Flemng
Grace Baptist Academy volleyball standout Miriam Horne, who had little more than dabbled with the sport until arriving at the small Christian school two years ago, signed a scholarship with Life University in Marietta, Ga., on Thursday morning in school’s gymnasium.
That’s a departure from the plan Horne had mapped out two or three weeks ago.
“I had never heard of Life University,” Horne said. “I was going to commit to Dalton State College. Life contacted me and asked me to take a visit. My dad (Patrick) told me to go down there and check it out.”
So, Miriam and her mother, Kim, loaded up and drove to Marietta on April 25 for an in-person evaluation of the university – known for years at Life Chiropractic College and its television commercials featuring founder Dr. Sid Williams, who died in 2012 at the age of 84.
“I loved it,” said Horne, who recorded 1,045 digs and 102 aces while earning All-District 5-A and all-tournament honors in each of her two seasons with the Lady Golden Eagles. “Everything about it was just a perfect fit for me. I’m big into exercise (she aspires to be a sports trainer) and fitness people were walking around everywhere and their cafeteria had organic food.
“It all suited me perfectly.”
Horne returned home and came up with one hitch to her switching from Dalton State to Life University.
“I didn’t think we could afford it,” she said. “But we were able to figure out how to make it work.”
That’s where the scholarship from Life, a NAIA Division I school that competes in the Mid-South Conference, will come in handy.
Life, which formed its first volleyball team in February 2015, was picked to finish dead-last in the conference in 2015, but went 17-14 overall and 5-11 in league play and finished seventh under coach Steve Wilcosky.
“Dalton State was close to us and I like their coaches,” Horne said. “I tried out for their team and was pretty sure I’d go there. But visiting Life turned out great for me.”
Horne was home –schooled for before choosing to attend Grace for her junior and senior years. Her involvement in several sports usually ended up with her being “burned out” and frustrated. That usually ended up with her leaving those sports.
Volleyball turned out differently.
“With volleyball I felt like I wasn’t close to my highest potential, so I’m not ready to give it up,” the diminutive Horne said. “I'm short so I have to play the back row of course. I didn't know if a college coach would want me. I had been just playing around with volleyball, but now I’m looking forward to working hard and becoming the best player I can be.”
Grace coach Hillary Watters, who watched her team’s No. 1 player, Grace McMasters, sign with Lee University on April 29, believes Horne – her twin sister, Alexis, also plays for the Lady Eagles – has the moxie to have the same type impact at Life as she’s had at Grace.
“She is a hard-working and determined individual,” Watters said. “Miriam came to us with only home-school experience with a little bit of club ball, but was an amazing player. On the first day of practice and open gym, we knew she could become a star for us.
“She was willing to do anything for the betterment of the team. Her skills caught us by surprise. She had a lot of skill for passing and setting, even hitting, but we ended up using her as our libero instead.”
Wilcosky saw the same pluck, the same determination that Horne possesses during her brief time on the university’s campus.
“The thing we really like about Miriam is her passion for the game,” he said prior to Horne’s signing ceremony. She has a high ceiling for what she’s capable of doing at the college level. She’s a really good athlete and we’ll use her as a defensive specialist or libero. There’s a high level of competitiveness and that stands out to us.
“Typically, we would have our athletes signed by this time, but being a new program we’re finding some really great athletes later like Miriam.”
(Contact Larry Fleming at larryfleming44@gmail.com and on Twitter @larryfleming44)