One of the top volleyball standouts in the Bayou Region has made her decision about her collegiate future.
Vandebilt Catholic senior standout Neal Grace Berry has committed to McNeese State University — a huge honor for the dominant hitter who has enjoyed immense success at the high school level.
Berry chose the Cowgirls’ program after entertaining offers from several Division I programs around the area and beyond.
She said she is happy and grateful to have her spot clinched at the next level, adding that she wants to thank her family, teammates and coaches for their continued support throughout her career.
“The recruiting journey was definitely stressful,” she said. “But I am so relieved and excited to have the chance to play at the Division I level.”
McNeese is getting one heck of a player.
Berry is a multi-sport standout at Vandebilt Catholic who is a force on the volleyball floor. She was an All-Star performer last season for the Terriers and won Offensive MVP of the district. Berry has been a contributing member of several Vandebilt teams that have made deep playoff pushes in recent seasons and she hopes to be part of another one this fall that is going to go to the State Tournament in Lafayette.
Because of her success on the floor, Berry has been able to collect several scholarship offers, which led to an intense recruitment. She said she chose McNeese because she felt at home at Lake Charles and had a great bond with the school’s coaches.
At McNeese, Berry hopes to play on the right-side and have a chance to earn a 6-rotation spot early in her career.
“I really like the coaching staff at McNeese as well as the advisors and professors that I was able to meet on my visit,” she said. “Everyone that I talked to loved and was invested in the culture of the school.”
Berry said she thinks that because she has played for such a prestigious high school program, she has a leg up in her eventual transition to college.
The Terriers have played so many high-stakes matches in recent years against elite competition. Throughout the course of her high school career, Berry has gone against and has had success against several college-level competitors, which she said will give her an edge in her transition from one level to the next.
“When I play tough teams, I feel like it pushes me to step up and really stay focused,” she said. “It has also helped me to learn to perform under pressure which will prepare me for the next level. I also have learned to be a good teammate in the big games, which is important playing on a high-level team.”
But for as excited as Berry is about going to McNeese, she said she has unfinished business at Vandebilt and wants to end her career with a bang.
Berry said she has big goals for her senior season, and she has high expectations that the Terriers can make it to and win the final game of the season.
“One of my main goals for my senior season is to reach 1,000 career kills,” she said. “Another goal of mine is to be a good teammate and leader. And lastly, a big team goal we have is to make it to the State Championship Game and hopefully to win it.”
