STARKVILLE — Riley Suggs wanted to find a place that fit her, and that place happened to reside just a short drive from Boston.
Starvkille’s senior setter superstar and All-Region selection officially inked her volleyball future, signing with Framingham State in front of family, friends and coaches on Thursday.
She’s been a mainstay on the Yellow Jackets for the last few years, and she’ll not get an opportunity to play at the Division III level.
“I had to find somewhere new to go and that’s when the doors up north opened up,” Suggs said. “When I stepped on campus, I absolutely loved it. It was amazing. I don’t know how to explain it, but everything about it was right. … Framingham, I just love it so much. I think it’s going to be a great opportunity for me.”
Starkville first-year head coach Meghan Mullane spoke highly of Suggs throughout the season, and that was no different Thursday. This senior class was Mullane’s first at the helm of the Jackets, and they’ve helped to set the framework for what’s to come.
Suggs who was one of the first players to really buy into Mullane’s vision for the program and be willing and able to absorb information and advice.
“She’s done an incredible job as far as setting the precedent for the program,” Mullane said. “That’s just who she is and that’s how she comes to practice every day. I think with having had so many coaches, it’s nice to see that she’s maintained that consistency for herself and I think it speaks to the type of player that she is. … She lives, eats, breathes volleyball.”
It’s often difficult for new coaches to cultivate relationships with veteran players, but having someone like Suggs around to step into a leadership role has certainly made that easier.
“I think the buy-in was the biggest thing,” Mullane said. “Anything I told them to do, she was just like ‘okay’ and did it. Having that kind of buy-in early on as a new coach was really gratifying to me. It offers a trickle-down effect to the rest of the players if our senior class is buying in. … She’s a true student of the game. She logs more hours watching film than anyone.”
The Jackets are a program in rebuild, but having players like Suggs to emulate creates a great precedent for the near future.
Her drive for improvement and work ethic are some of the reasons why she’ll be continuing her volleyball career collegiately, proudly representing Starkville at the next level.
“Instead of being a senior that was like, ‘Oh, new coach is coming in, I don’t care, I’m not going to put in the work,’ I decided to step up, put in the work and be there for the team,” Suggs said. “… I love volleyball so much. Volleyball is my passion and going to college for it, as hard as I need to work, is what I will do if it will get me there.”
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