Before coming to Lake Land College to play volleyball, Demmie Long had the opportunity to go to the University of Illinois Springfield. But she was given the advice to go to Lake Land, which the Neoga native did.
For the last two years, Long has been a setter and defensive specialist for the LLC volleyball team. She will add more to her plate next year because not only will she be a walk on for the UIS volleyball team, Long will also be a member of the UIS track and field team.
For Long, the opportunity to play at the NCAA Division II level was too much to pass up. She drew interest from some NAIA and D-III schools, but UIS and Maryville University, another D-II school, stood out.
"I knew I didn't want to go to an NAIA or D-III school because a lot of those schools are really expensive," Long said. "I had a couple of D-II looks and the fact that UIS could offer me volleyball and track was a plus."
Maryville was interest in Long, but only for volleyball and she wanted to compete in both sports, giving UIS the edge.
"UIS, I was talking to them my senior year out of high school and it was just something that continued when I was at Lake Land," Long said. "UIS said the smartest thing for me to do was to start for two years at Lake Land, progress and contact them after my two years here. My skill set wasn't where they wanted it then, but they said it's a lot better now."
The story was reported by the Mattoon Journal Gazette on May 4, 2016.
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