Chestnut Ridge's Henderson to play softball at St. Vincent College
Dec. 2—A perfect blend of academics, small-school feel and a chance to continue her softball career led Chestnut Ridge High School senior Alyssa Henderson to St. Vincent College.
The standout catcher recently committed to join the NCAA Division III program in Latrobe.
"The coaches and players really made me feel at home at St. Vincent," Henderson said.
"Between this, the small campus and academics, it was the best overall choice for me."
Henderson chose St. Vincent, a member of the Presidents' Athletic Conference, over King's College, Mount Aloysius, Pitt-Greensburg and Seton Hill.
"When I visited there, the hospitality of everyone stood out, and not just the people giving my tour," Henderson said. "Everyone was genuinely nice."
The right-handed slugger intends to major in business data analytics with either a minor in engineering or a double major.
Henderson, who plays for the PA Worth Prospects out of State College, will bring an edge to the Bearcats softball program, which is led by coach Nicole Karr. The Bearcats went 24-10 in 2022 and has local graduates Haley Bicko (Greater Johnstown) and Katie Muro (Shanksville-Stonycreek) on the roster.
"She is an extreme competitor," Chestnut Ridge softball coach Greg Lazor said of Henderson. "She does not like to lose. She does not like to give in an inch. She will battle you to the end. She's a hard-working girl that really puts the time in to fine-tune her craft of catching and hitting."
Dedicating her training to softball helped Henderson reach the next level.
"Chestnut Ridge has practice and winter workouts year-round," Henderson said.
"This really helped me realize the importance of weight lifting in the offseason and how it can affect my performance."
Getting to play college softball was something that veered in and out of Henderson's focus over her career.
"When I was younger, I went through a time where I didn't know what I wanted, but as I got older, I realized that I wanted those four extra years to play the sport I love," Henderson said.
Henderson, named to the 2022 all-Laurel Highlands Athletic Conference softball team, has been a consistent threat in the middle of the Lions lineup.
"It's definitely exciting to have her in the lineup," Lazor said. "She's a good contact hitter with power. She can put a ball out of the park at any time. She's just a great all-around hitter. She's a really good baserunner. She knows how to run the bases and take advantage of other people's mistakes.
"She's always looking to be able to advance a base."
Henderson is the daughter of Jeremy and Kathy Henderson.
Jake Oswalt is a copy editor for The Tribune-Democrat. Follow him on Twitter @TheWizOfOz11.
