BLOOMFIELD -- Bloomfield senior Bailey Below felt right at home when she visited John A. Logan College.
That's one reason why she chose to play volleyball for the NJCAA program from Carterville, Illinois. She signed a letter of intent Nov. 27 at Bloomfield High School.
"I know a lot of the girls who played there this year, so when I went, it felt like a family already," Below said. "I just liked that I could kind of go in and be welcomed and everything. I visited twice, and the second time I got to play with everyone. That kind of sealed the deal. They just made it so welcoming."
Below won't be the only Southeast Missouri girl on the Volunteers' roster.
Lexie Barnes, of Saxony Lutheran; Alanis Below, of Advance; Olivia Hallett, of Jackson; and Krista Rhodes, of Woodland; were freshmen on this year's team that went 29-9 and won the Region 24 championship. Clearwater senior Faith Hoppe also signed to play at Logan recently.
"This area's been good for us," Logan head coach Bill Burnside said. "The last couple years, we've found several players over here that we wouldn't necessarily normally get. Southern Illinois' been weaker the last couple years, so we've had to look a little farther away to get the kind of athlete we're looking for. We're always interested in these programs, especially the ones who are successful year after year."
Below, a Class 2 Missouri High School Volleyball Coaches Association all-stater this season, was moved to setter for her senior year by Bloomfield coach Haley Silman. That move adds to her versatility.
"She's just such a good all-around player," Silman said. "She reads the floor well. She has a great serve. She's obviously an amazing hitter, and now that we've had her setting, she's got that under her belt, too."
Burnside agrees.
"There's lots of things to like about Bailey," he said. "She's such a good athlete. I think she has a lot of versatility. We can use her in a lot of different ways. She's a very aggressive player, which is something you look for at the college level. ... Her hands are good. She can set. She jumps well, so she can hit. So, there's a lot of potential there."
Below chose to go the junior college route to improve her setting skills in anticipation of playing for a four-year university in the future.
"I'm just looking forward to progressing in that position," Below said. "I'm excited to go to this college because they'll really help me out with making my hands better."
Below was part of four district championship teams in high school. Her teams reached the state quarterfinals each year, and the Wildcats placed fourth in the state during her freshman season.
"This year's district title was probably my favorite playing moment because it was so emotional with my sister (freshman Molly Below) and me being a senior. I'll never have that again," she said.
Below will be a member of a sophomore-heavy team next season, so her playing time might be limited at first.
"Bailey's going to be one of only four or five recruits for (next) year," Burnside said. "(In 2019), we're going to need a little bit of everything. That's the good thing with having a player like Bailey who's versatile. When those 10 sophomores leave, we'll use her in whatever way we need to be successful."
Below finished with 1,119 career kills, according to Silman.
"That's a pretty big accomplishment for any player to reach that 1,000-kill mark," Silman said.
This season, Below had team-highs of 368 kills, 76 service aces and 67 blocks and was second on the team with 214 digs and 203 assists.