Saranac's Allison Couturier has signed her national Letter of Intent to play volleyball with Lansing Community College (LCC).
SARANAC – Saranac's Allison Couturier has signed her national Letter of Intent to play volleyball with Lansing Community College (LCC). The talented athlete will become a Star after she graduates from high school this spring.
Ally, a senior setter for Saranac's volleyball team, earned plenty of honors for her talent on the court. This year, Ally was named to the CMAC All-Conference First Team, the All-Region team, the Ionia Sentinel Standard All-County First Team, and also named to the Class C All-State First Team.
Ally actually drew the interest of LCC's head coach Emily Quintero, as a junior.
“I first saw Ally play in early 2017, and when I continued to see the growth and progression paired together with her dedication to her team I knew we wanted her as a future Star,” shared Quintero. “Part of what our coaching staff looks for are those who can communicate on and off the court. This quality alone shows a go-getter mentality that we thrive to have on our team. She has continually updated us on her progress throughout her high school and club season.”
The Star's interest was not a surprise to Saranac volleyball coach Amy McElvain.
“She brought a lot of determination and leadership to our team,” said McElvain. “She worked very hard for years to be a very skilled player. She always held herself to high standards of excellence, which spilled over to her teammates, making them hold themselves more accountable, also. She would encourage her teammates and was always willing to help them improve any way she could.”
Ally is planning on studying kinesiology at LCC. Extremely grounded, she sounds like she is as excited about her pursuit of her career as she is her activity on the volleyball court, which fits perfectly into LCC's outlook.
“I'm so excited to play at the next level and continue my education at LCC,” Ally shared. “I can't wait to play with some girls from my CMAC conference and finally be on the same team.”
She also looks forward to facing off against beloved Saranac teammate Emma Pachulski on the other side of the volleyball net. Emma is preparing to sign to play volleyball with Grand Rapids Community College, and Ally is thrilled Emma gets to play at the next level, too. “I've been playing with Emma for the past six years and the experience has been amazing,” she said. “Now I get to play against her when we play GRCC, and it's going to be the best.”
Her new coach loves Ally's enthusiasm and is eager for Ally to join their team.
“We look for athletes that will proudly represent us in the classroom and on the court,” said Quintero. “Ally has continued to learn and grow on the court, which is also what we look for. The coachability and growth on the floor shows us that she is willing to listen and put in the work to see great results for not only herself, but her team. We are looking forward to Ally being a dynamic impact player for our team this next season.”