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Manistique’s Smith signs to play volleyball at Alma College

Austin Hemmingson | Daily Press Manistique’s Lenna Smith signed her letter-of-intent to play volleyball at Alma College Wednesday in the high school gym. Pictured on each side of her are her parents, Doug and Linda.

MANISTIQUE — Lenna Smith was a four-year varsity starter at Manistique. Now, she’s one of the first two Manistique Emeralds to ever go on to play college volleyball.

Smith, the reigning Mid-Peninsula Conference Player of the Year, signed her letter-of-intent to play at Alma College Wednesday in the high school gym.

“It feels awesome,” Smith said. “I’ve been waiting for this moment for two years.”

She may have been waiting for this moment for two years, but the decision to go to Alma was just made recently.

“This fall I went to a tournament and got to go watch them play, and I wasn’t really sure how they played so I talked to their coaches and they were really interested in me and wanted to visit,” she said.

“I got a roster spot, so then I decided to take it.”

Smith will be going into the Integrative Health Sciences field, although she still isn’t 100 percent sure which specific direction she wants to go just yet.

Emeralds’ coach Amy Nixon had high praise for her after watching her growth from her freshman to senior season.

“Lenna Smith is a four-year varsity starter. I brought her up as a freshman, so I’ve been coaching her for four years,” Nixon said. “I’ve seen her growth, not only as a player, but also as a person. I’m just so proud of everything she’s accomplished in her life and in her career, and I’m so excited to see what she’ll do with it after.”

Manistique has built a strong volleyball program over the last few seasons, winning back to M-PC titles and district titles before falling in the regional final each year. Smith noted playing for a high-level program and getting a chance to play quality competition should help her at the next level.

“It’ll help a lot, I think,” she said. “I’m really excited. I’m glad I got the opportunity to play against those hard teams to get to the next step.”

She signed alongside teammate and lifelong best friend Emilee McDaniel, who signed to play at Lake Superior State University.

“I think it’s so cool that two of them who have been best friends since they were little get to go off and live their volleyball dreams, not necessarily at the same school, but both get to play at the next level,” Nixon said. “These are first two girls that I’ve ever put into college in volleyball, so that’s cool for me as a coach to see that the passion I’ve helped to instill in them has made them want to play at the next level. I’m proud of them.”

Smith said the hard work each of them has put in is a good standard for the program.

“It’s really cool to think about because we put in a lot of work. It’s just a good standard for the program to have people work hard and reach that,” she said.

“It’s really cool. I’m glad we got to do it together.”

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