LCCC's Addyson McArthur has become a weapon for LCCC on the outside

Oct. 26—CHEYENNE — Laramie County Community College freshman Addyson McArthur always had an admiration for volleyball.

Her mother, Melissa McArthur, played volleyball at Utah State University, and played a big part in forming her love of the game. But early in life, McArthur said she had no interest in volleyball, or sports in general.

"I wanted to do something different with my life," McArthur said. "... I tried out tennis my freshman year of high school, just to feel out the waters and stuff. But now, I can't imagine my life without volleyball."

There was no single, crystalizing moment that changed McArthur's mind about wanting to play sports. Even throughout high school, the freshman said she had little desire to pursue athletics at the next level. But that eventually changed when she started to see the success her peers and family had seen at the next level.

"It was my goal of reaching high levels of play (that really changed my mind)," McArthur said. "Seeing my mom play (Division I) and being able to look up to her and (seeing) a bunch of my other friends be able to go on and play (at a high level) is my motivation."

The late realization of wanting to play after high school got McArthur into the recruiting game late. She didn't sign her letter of intent until the final month of her senior year.

LCCC was one of many suitors for the 5-foot-10 freshman's services, but ultimately won out due to location, scholarship opportunities and the locker room dynamic.

"LCCC was one of the only places still offering money, and that was a big part," McArthur said. "There were a couple of other places with offers, but they were a little bit farther away from home. This was convenient to be (in Cheyenne). I also liked the campus and the girls."

McArthur started playing volleyball around 10 years old, which began to stoke the fire for her love of the sport. It eventually led her to a standout career at Discovery Canyon High School in Colorado Springs, Colorado.

She has carried that success over to LCCC, where she has turned into one of the premier threats at outside hitter for the Golden Eagles. Entering LCCC's final weekend of the regular season, McArthur leads the team with 356 kills, and also leads the team at 3.27 kills per set.

It's a role she wasn't expecting to play. But thanks to her hard work in the offseason, it was one she was ready for.

"When we came here, coach was like, 'You might be starting, but it's going to depend on what we have and what preseason looks like,'" McArthur said. "I worked really hard during preseason, and was able to earn that spot. We do have that depth, so if I am struggling or having an off day, we do have people that can come in."

McArthur was quick to acknowledge the role that her teammates have played in helping get her to where she is now, going as far as saying she couldn't do it without them. She also said she often finds herself trying to win for everyone around her.

"When we pass well and have all of our options offensively, that creates stress on the block, and makes it easier for her to score," LCCC coach Zach Shaver said. "If we aren't passing well, she is not going to be able to score as much as she does.

"So, it's definitely a team thing, but she definitely is athletic and works hard and finds new ways to score."

While McArthur had a phenomenal high school career that saw her take home all-state, team MVP and USAA National Championship all-tournament team honors, transitioning to the college game wasn't without its pitfalls.

The speed and pace of the game was something she had to adjust to. But she also had to get acclimated to playing with and against tougher competition.

"In high school, you obviously have to work with what you've got," McArthur said. "But in college, you are going to have middles that can close the blocks, you're going to have girls that can actually swing down the lines. It's a big difference."

Early on in the season, McArthur had been struggling with getting the ball in play cleanly, and was committing a large amount of hitting errors.

Shaver is the type of coach to try to help his players eliminate mistakes all together, or to pick up better habits to try to work through some of those issues. It's exactly what he did with McArthur to get her back on track.

"I've asked her to do some things a little differently," Shaver said. "She is used to just hitting the ball as hard as she can and scoring, and that doesn't always work at this level. She is becoming a smarter outside hitter.

"(On the last point against Casper College), she got blocked, and instead of doing the same thing, she tipped a ball into the right spot and scored. (In general), she is just becoming a smarter player."

LCCC enters its final two matches of the regular season against Western Wyoming Community College and Casper College riding a 13-game winning streak. With all the momentum built up since its last loss, maintaining it through the final weekend and into the Region IX Tournament is a major key.

"As we near the end of the season, it's go time, and (time to) push and give it all we've got," McArthur said after the Oct. 7 win over Casper College. "After the season, that's when we kind of get a break.

"Right now, we just have to go until we can't go anymore."

Matt Atencio covers Laramie County prep sports for WyoSports. He can be reached at matencio@wyosports.net. Follow him on X at @MattAtencio5.