After volleyball coach Nathan Baker left Tusculum College for the University of West Alabama, recent Red Bank High School graduate Erica Shropshire decided to follow him.

Baker had recruited Shropshire to the Greeneville, Tenn., school, and his offer carried over to the Livingston, Ala., university where the outside hitter has signed to continue her career. Both schools are NCAA Division II members.

“He really earned my respect,” Shropshire said. “He was really dedicated to helping me, so when he went to West Alabama, I went ahead and visited there. I liked the school, so I decided I would just sign with them.”

Shropshire was one of the area’s most dominant hitters last fall, leading everyone with her average of 5.2 kills per game.

“They’ve said they definitely need a left-side hitter,” she said. “I’m really excited and ready to get off to college. I’m looking forward to it, but it’s going to be a challenge.”

After her 600-plus kills as a senior set a single-season record at Red Bank, coach Susan Thurman said Shropshire is ready to meet it.

“Erica has an incredible amount of God-given ability,” Thurman said. “She’s one of the best team players to be a star that I’ve ever had. She worked hard and had a great season, but she never got cocky. She always made everybody else feel important. And she’s just now beginning to become a great player. The sky’s the limit for Erica.”

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