A lot of high school seniors waiver when you ask them about their plans for college. Central's Sarah Ormsby isn't one of them.
Ormsby, a standout volleyball player for the Lady Dragons, is going to continue her athletic and academic career this fall at Geneva College, which is north of Pittsburgh.
"Not really. Geneva was the only place I really wanted to go to," replied the two-time Mountain League first-team all-star when asked what other schools she looked at. "That is where I looked. That is where I decided to go to academically."
Ormsby became familiar with Geneva through her church, Westminster Orthodox Presbyterian in Altoona.
"My pastor went there and there are a few kids from my church that go there and they only have good things to say about it," said Ormsby, who is undecided about her major at this point.
Geneva is coming off its best season ever in school history. The Division III program finished 26-5 last fall and just missed out on going to the NCAA Tournament.
"I really liked the atmosphere when I was with the team. I like that they have an offseason. Fall is volleyball and they have a short season in the spring," Ormsby said. "But they also allow for you to focus on school and the other aspects of college life."
Ormsby was also a second-team District 6 all-star in 11th grade and was co-MVP of her team her junior year.
"Her desire to win is just unbelievable," Central assistant coach Paul Cunningham said. "She has such a great work ethic and she hates to lose. She has natural talent, too. That's something you can't teach."
Ormsby started playing volleyball in seventh grade and her affection for the game grew from there.
"I just love the sport. At some point, it was like 'How am I not going to play this after high school?'" she recalled. "'How will this not be a part of my life?' Once I realized college volleyball was an option, Geneva made it possible."
Though Ormsby never played on a Central team that won a district championship, Cunningham still believes her experiences were valuable in getting her ready for collegiate volleyball.
"We do not, technically speaking, pick captains, but you could tell she was a leader on this team and that she was very helpful with the younger players," he said. "You can just tell that she will do well in college. You just know she will go a long way in the sport."
