By Lacey Cano
Staff Writer
With a careful combination of athletic skills and academic prowess, seniors Grayce Campbell, Carley Muller and Casey White are taking their volleyball talent to the next level with recent commitments to Cornell, Penn State and Harvard, respectively.
Campbell, whose interest lies in biopsychology, sought a balance of rigorous academics as well as commitment to volleyball. Campbell was ultimately faced with a decision between Tulane and Cornell.
“My parents really just told me that they wanted me to make the decision that would bring me the most happiness,” outside hitter Campbell said. “After thinking about it for a couple of weeks, I realized that Cornell was what I truly wanted.”
Campbell has been a part of Costa volleyball for four years and is supported in her decision to choose Cornell by many of her Costa teammates.
“I was so excited for Grayce when she committed to Cornell,” senior teammate Corie Bain, who earlier committed to Harvard, said. “I know she will excel at Cornell, and I am happy for her.”
Muller has been playing since age seven and was first inspired by her older brother to take up the sport. She recently committed to Penn State, where she plans to major in communications.
“I’ve known since I was in seventh grade that I wanted to go to Penn State” libero Muller said. “Pennsylvania is essentially my home away from home. That, and the school’s great athletic and academic reputation, made it the perfect
option for me.”
Muller’s dedication to the sport is apparent to many that watch her. The recruitment process included video footage, phone calls, and emails between both parties.
“Carly is a determined, self-driven athlete,” Costa coach Lisa Arce-Zimmerman said. “She has always wanted to push herself to the next level, and it’s clear she’s done a great job of doing that.”
An outside hitter for the boys volleyball team, White was recruited by schools such as UCLA, Loyola Marymount, Harvard, University of Chicago and Princeton. He decided to follow in his older brother DJ’s footsteps by committing to Harvard.
“The opportunity to go to an Ivy League school was too great for me to pass up,” White said. “Making a decision between these schools was really hard, but at the end of the day, I guess I thought that it would be more fun for me to play with my brother for the next two years than to be playing against him.”
White, who considers passing to be his greatest attribute as a player, believes that although the door to play volleyball at a professional level is not out of the question, he will focus on spending his time at Harvard utilizing the academic opportunities the school has to offer.
“Casey is always a good teammate and always keeps the team smiling while also maintaining focus,” senior Riley Mallon said. “I’m really excited for him, and he will do great things at Harvard.”
White will begin competing in his last season as a Mustang with the boys team’s first match after the team’s CIF win over Loyola this past May. The Mustangs’ first game will be played on March 1 in Santa Barbara.
“We are going to perform really well this year,” White said. “The returning guys still remember that victory we had last year, and will work extremely hard to try to get it again.”
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