Q and A with volleyball seniors Avery Strohmeyer and Avolyn Lepo
Seniors Avery Strohmeyer and Avolyn Lepo pose with their coach Aaron Smaka on signing day. Strohmeyer is headed to Lake Superior State University, while Lepo signed for Oakland University.
November 28, 2018
Seniors Avolyn Lepo and Avery Strohmeyer are nearing the end of their volleyball careers at Grand Haven High School. Both have been successful in high school, and now they are both moving on to play college volleyball. They will sign for their respective colleges on Nov. 14 in the LGI. Lepo is signing with Oakland University in Rochester Hills, while Strohmeyer is signing with Lake Superior State University in Sault Ste. Marie. They were able to reflect on their time playing volleyball in high school, as well as look forward to their futures.
Q: What made you pick each of your colleges?
AL: “I really liked the volleyball program, the coaches, and the academics.”
AS: “I like the location of the school; it’s up north and it’s really pretty and the lake is right there and I love being by the water. It’s a developing program, with a new coach, so I’m really excited to be a part of the program progressing and becoming better.”
Q: What has prepared each of you to play college volleyball the most?
AL: “Being in a successful high school volleyball program is super helpful, not a lot of kids are able to be in such a successful program with lots of coaches available all year round. Playing club volleyball in the offseason also helps with getting recruited.”
AS: “I would say my parents pushing me, whether it was to go to volleyball camps, go to everything that I can. Being a part of a really successful high school volleyball team isn’t something everyone gets to say, and just putting in a lot of time and effort.”
Q: What excites you most about playing in college?
AL: “I’m excited to play against some of the top teams in the country, because our preseason is always tough. We play against the likes of Michigan, Notre Dame, and it’s always tough, so that’s exciting.”
AS: “Just to say that I’m a college athlete. I’ve worked really hard for it.”
Q: What are you planning on majoring in when you’re in college?
AL: “I’m thinking health sciences.”
AS: “Environmental science.”
Q: Anyone from Grand Haven on your teams already?
AL: “Krysteena Davis graduated in 2014 and is a senior at Oakland now.”
AS: “Not anyone from Grand Haven, there are girls from West Ottawa also going there so there are people from West Michigan that we’ve played on that team.”
Q: What’s your favorite moment of your high school volleyball career?
AL: “Probably my sophomore year when we beat East Grand Rapids in the semi finals.”
AS: “Playoffs and pregame fun in the locker rooms”
Q: What’s the funniest thing that happened to you on a volleyball court?
AL: “Just funny things from practice like clowning around and jumping over chairs.”
AS: “I killed a bee, I clapped and killed it during the game.”
Q: What is one thing you’ll take away from playing volleyball at Grand Haven High School?
AL: “All of the coaches care about you, not just as an athlete or as a player, they care about you as a person too.”
AS: “I feel like coming from such a good invested program and invested community, a lot of good things come out of it. The program makes good people too.”
Q: What will you miss most about high school volleyball?
AL: “Playing with all of your friends and playing against your friends from club season.”
AS: “I would say pregame with all of our friends, and practices after school with all of our friends. Everything is so tight knit.”
