It’s all about the attitude for Tori Weir.
Two years ago, something clicked with Weir and volleyball that convinced her she wanted to play the sport at the next level. It was a frequent topic of conversation and motivation, so much so that Columbus High School volleyball coach Tiffany Jefferson said Weir has talked about the subject for the last three years.
On Thursday, Weir had a chance to talk about playing volleyball in college in earnest following a signing ceremony to announce her decision to play the sport for coach Roxanne Hernandez at the Mississippi University for Women.
“I believe being able to be coachable helps the coaches and they see you really love the sport and you’re about business,” Weir said.
Weir, who also plays on the school’s girls basketball team and competes in cross country and competed in track and field, said her passion for volleyball ignited in the 10th grade when she started to play club volleyball for Level Elite, an organization started by former Mississippi State volleyball coach Tina Seals. Weir admitted she wasn’t a polished player, but she said she loved the challenge of becoming a better middle blocker and an all-around player. She said she became convinced she wanted to keep playing volleyball once she delivered her first true kill, or “spiking.” She said she feeling she had after that play was invigorating.
“I always thought about it and I always wanted to be better at it,” Weir said. “I feel like if you want to be better at something or the best at something that is what you love. The more and more I played the more I loved it.”
Jefferson has coached Weir for the last three seasons, including the last two as the program’s head coach. She smiled when she said Weir has talked repeatedly about her hopes to play volleyball in college. Jefferson feels Weir is an “energetic player” who has a knack for picking herself up after something bad happens. She said that will be an important trait to have when she takes her skills to The W.
Jefferson said Weir’s attitude and willingness to push herself to get better helped her realize her goal.
“She is very motivated, and she motivated her teammates,” Jefferson said. “I just think that played a role in her development, and it is going to play a role in her maturation at the next level.”
Weir said The W’s coaches attended one of her practices with Level Elite and were impressed with what they saw. She said she is familiar with The W’s campus after practicing at Pohl Gymnasium with her Level Elite teams, so that made it easier for her to pick The W, even if she said Thursday the reality hadn’t sunk in yet.
“Just to know I am good at something and I can play at the next level is great,” Weir said. “It is kind of surreal. I never would have thought it would happen.”
In addition to volleyball, The W will feature baseball, men’s soccer, men’s and women’s cross country, and softball in the 2017-18 school year. The W will add more sports for the 2018-19 year as it continues the process to gain NCAA Division III status.
Follow Dispatch sports editor Adam Minichino on Twitter @ctsportseditor
Adam Minichino is the former Sports Editor for The Commercial Dispatch.
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