Even in eighth grade, Jessica Admire got used to recruiters and coaches attending her volleyball matches, studying every serve, bump and spike.
Admire was focused more on the game, but she was hopeful a scholarship would be in her future, she said.
She started playing club volleyball in fourth grade and joined the Circle City Volleyball Club in middle school. When someone plays for the club, the goal is to get a full-ride scholarship, Admire said.
As a sophomore at Franklin Community High School, Admire committed to play volleyball for four years at Butler University.
She loved the college and would travel to campus just to have lunch and hopefully run into the coaches, Admire said.
“I just couldn’t stop going back,” Admire said.
For the next two years, Admire was relieved of the stress of applying to colleges. While her peers were filling out applications for colleges, grants and scholarships, Admire was waiting for signing day.
In November, she signed a letter of intent to go to Butler University to play volleyball — the same day her boyfriend and club teammates signed their letters of intent for college teams, she said.
“It was like the biggest relief,” Admire said. “Your volleyball team really is the only one who understands the recruiting process, so your friends are there to support you, but they don’t understand the whole process.”
A few weeks later, her mother Beth Admire received a bill from Butler University with $0 listed as what the family owed.
“It’s an incredible feeling,” Admire said.
[sc:pullout-title pullout-title=”The Admire File” ][sc:pullout-text-begin]
Name: Jessica Admire
High school: Franklin Community
College: Butler University
Major: Biology
Full-ride scholarship: Volleyball
[sc:pullout-text-end]
