Burlington’s Bohne to Jacksonville State
There were multiple reasons Burlington Central senior Sam Bohne chose Division-I Jacksonville State University in Birmingham, Ala. as her college home for the next four years, a meteorological advantage chief among them.
“No snow whatsoever!” boasted the 17-year-old Elgin resident who verbally accepted a full scholarship to play volleyball for the Gamecocks on Oct. 27. “And it’s not flat land like Illinois. It’s all beautiful with mountains down there.
“I’m so excited. I can’t wait to get down there and play for them.”
Selected to the 2011 Daily Herald All-Area team, Bohne recently completed her fourth season for the Burlington Central varsity team as a libero. She finished her senior season with 454 digs and successfully received 97 percent of serves sent in her direction. She also notched 37 aces for a team that won 21 matches.
Bohne has played club volleyball for the Sky-High Volleyball Club of Crystal Lake since she was 12. She was a member of Sky-High Black’s back-to-back AAU national championship teams in 2010 and 2011.
Bohne visited Jacksonville State the weekend of Oct. 22. She toured the campus, saw a match and met the players. The current roster includes sophomore setter Abbey Heredia, another Sky-High alum who set for Cary-Grove’s Class 4A state title team in 2009.
Jacksonville State’s package stood out compared to offers Bohne had received from Purdue and Evansville, among others, she said.
“I’m just glad it’s settled and I know what I’m doing now,” Bohne said. “It’s been a long process and everyone has been asking me, but I wanted to take my time and make sure I was going to the right school. As soon as I visited, I knew it was the right school for me. Coach (Joseph) Goodson and (assistant coach) Morgan Salow are awesome. They made me feel comfortable and welcomed me like I was already on their team.
“And everything is all new and big down there. It’s a whole new atmosphere.”
Bohne holds a 3.4 grade-point average at Burlington Central and intends to study graphic design.