BLOUNTVILLE, Tenn. - Two trips to the state tournament and three to the substate round.
Those are just some of the accomplishments for West Ridge senior Kari Wilson, who led the Wolves to consecutive Class 3A state tournaments and was a freshman when Sullivan Central was one win from Murfreesboro.
That experience has paid off for Wilson, who took part in a signing ceremony on Thursday to announce her intentions to continue her education and volleyball career at East Tennessee State University.
"I am super excited, a very special day," said Wilson, who was joined by teammate Casey Wampler, who will play next at Brevard College in North Carolina.
"It is exciting for both of our girls," said West Ridge volleyball coach Logan Kemp, "being able to have both Kari and Casey be pivotal foundational components to our program."
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Wilson comes from a family of volleyball players, from her mother to her sisters that played at the college level at Walters State and King University Wilson had her mind set on playing NCAA Division I.
"When I hit high school it was a mindset for me, "Kari said. "I knew that was my dream. In middle school, it was my intro into big volleyball and then I got to high school and it went on from there."
Choosing ETSU wasn't hard for Wilson, who was recently selected as an all-state performer by the Tennessee Sports Writers Association, finishing the season with 550 digs and more than 1,000 in her career.
"ETSU has always been my dream school," Wilson said. "It is close to home and going D1 was always my dream so it is really special to me."
After a difficult 2023 campaign what ended with a 6-23 record, the Buccaneers made a coaching change, bringing back Lindsey Devine, who led ETSU to 292 victories from 2003-18, earning Southern and Atlantic Sun conference titles and a trio of NCAA tournament appearances.
Devine, who spent three seasons as head coach at Alabama and one year as a volunteer assistant at Mississippi State, replaced Dr. Bruce Atkinson, who was relieved of his duties after last season.
Smith had already committed to ETSU prior to the change.
"I am super excited for Lindsey to come back," Smith said. "I have heard amazing things and saw amazing things she has done with their program, it is just amazing. When the switch happened it was a bit nerve-whacking of course, but I am super excited."
Wilson was a freshman contributor as a defensive specialist for Sullivan Central, which reached the substate round of the state tournament in the school's final season of existence in 2020. That school, along with Sullivan South and Sullivan North, were consolidated into one at West Ridge in Blountville beginning with the 2021-22 school year.
"It was sad leaving Central and any school for any person, but I think the change was good," Wilson said. "This school has done so much good with their programs, any athletic program..."
Kemp has spoken all long on how well students from those three schools came together to create a cohesive unit.
"All of our girls did," Kemp said. "We had a great job of blending all of our players together and it is one big family."
West Ridge has quickly gained one of the better fan bases in the region for just about any sport.
"West Ridge is amazing. I am so glad all three schools came together," she said. "This community has one of the best crowds ever and support systems and seeing everyone come out and support any sport is really big."
The Wolves quickly established itself as one of the better programs in the region, advancing to the sectional playoffs in its first season before making two straight trips to Murfreesboro over the last two seasons. Along the way, Wilson, who also plays for Tri-Cities Extreme Volleyball, caught the eyes of the coaches at ETSU.
"They really just told me what they are looking for in a person and a teammate," said Wilson, who plans to major in exercise science, with plans to be a physical therapist.
Wilson served as a libero for the last three seasons for the Wolves, leading a defensive effort that requires lots of diving, jumping and stretching to return balls, a skill that has just seemed natural to her.
"All my life. Just loving it. Growing up and playing volleyball, it has just been in my life and I think just like reaching each new level is amazing," she said. "You have got to be bold. You have got to be very vocal."
Kemp said those attributes will serve Wilson well at the next level.
"She is one of those hard workers, will go through and go for any ball anywhere on the court," he said. "That is what coaches love."
Wilson is the second NCAA Division I produced by Kemp, following Elaina Vaughan, who went from Sullivan Central to St. Francis of New York in Brooklyn. It has since dropped its program, but Vaughan is still there as a student.
Kemp figures the biggest adjustment will be the same as it is for any athlete taking the step from high school to college.
"I think the pace of play is obviously going to be different," he said. "Being able to get quickly adjusted to that at the college level and just for her to stick to what she knows."
He is also glad to see Devine take over the program that she took to prominence.
"I am excited for Kari to be able to play locally, still see her at the Division I level," he said. "I am excited to see how Coach Devine is able to help grow her performance and see what kind of athlete Kari can turn into under her tutelage...
"I am really excited to see where she takes that program and really excited for Kari to learn from someone like Coach Devine."
Wilson, who was joined in the school cafeteria for the signing by Wampler and classmate Autumn Nidiffer, who will join the acrobatics and tumbling team at King University, is ready for what lies ahead.
"I am super excited. Today is a super special day," Wilson said. "I am so blessed that I get to spend this amazing accomplishment with family, friends and teammates and especially coaches."