By Jack Reaney SENIOR EDITOR
On Feb. 12, a signing ceremony recognized Lone Peak High School senior Claire Hoadley’s commitment to play volleyball at Rocky Mountain College in Billings.
Hoadley received an athletic scholarship to attend Rocky Mountain, and will apply for further scholarships from the Friends of Big Sky Education. She is deciding whether she’d like to study occupational therapy or business management, and may consider a Rocky Mountain program that would allow her to play volleyball while studying abroad.
“It feels so amazing,” Hoadley said after posing with friends and family on Wednesday afternoon. “I’m beyond excited and just feeling blessed that I can keep playing the sport that I love, and getting to meet new people who are also playing the sport that they love.”
She was recruited after gaining experience and exposure with the Big Sky Volleyball Club in Bozeman, and traveling to out-of-state tournaments. In her exploration, including visits to a few schools’ volleyball programs, she realized she’d prefer to stay in Montana.
“Rocky was actually the first camp that I went to last summer, and I immediately loved it,” Hoadley said. After a few emails, the coach set up a call and offered her a spot.
Hoadley thanked her parents for supporting her and pushing her to pursue her goals, her brother Nick for cheering the loudest at games, and her close friends and teachers for supporting her.
Claire’s parents, Dan and Vanessa Hoadley, said she was most excited about Rocky Mountain College, so it was an easy choice once the offer came across the table.
“We’re so proud of her,” Vanessa said. “This was her light-up sport all along… when she decided she wanted to go to school for it, she just went for it.”
“It’s just so good to have a kid who knows some of her passions, and has a plan to go chase them down,” Dan said.
Athletic Director John Hannahs remembers Claire as a student in his first second-grade class when he started a job in Big Sky. Years later, he said she became a calm and collected volleyball player and a natural leader who carries her team through high-pressure moments.
“It’s always a really special thing to see somebody who has worked so hard all through school in any given program, or any given sport, to have that opportunity—and more importantly the drive and passion—to continue on to the next level… To see her come this far, it’s really special,” Hannahs said.
Hoadley credited her Lone Peak coaches for encouraging her to test her skills at the college level. Assistant coaches Steven Reid and Gavin Dean attended the signing day.
Reid said her pure volleyball talent is dominant and that she can carry the team on her back. Beyond her skills, he said she’s impressively personable and a confident leader who can engage genuinely with any teammate.
Dean said her teammates always gravitated to her and rallied behind her, and it was easy for players and coaches to rely on her.
“Just having her on the court at all times, you know, we could trust somebody out there,” Dean said. “… I’m just super excited for her. Hopefully we can get her schedule and go check out some games. Definitely looking forward to her success in the future.”
Head coach Ashley Muckway moved away after the season, but wrote a statement to EBS to celebrate her former player.
“One of the most driven and dedicated players I’ve had the pleasure of working with. No matter what was going on, Claire would walk into practice ready to give 100%,” Muckway wrote. “… Not only is she a great player, but her attitude and leadership are going to propel her into a stellar future. I have no doubt we will hear of all the great things she will accomplish both on and off the court.”
After college, Hoadley is open to the possibility of turning pro if she continues to develop, seeing many new leagues in the U.S. and abroad. “I really want to explore those and see if I could make that happen,” she said.
“She’s gonna do great things, whether it’s volleyball or wherever she goes,” Reid said. “She can do whatever she wants, ‘cause she’s got it under control. That’s one kid you can point at and say, ‘she’s probably gonna do great things.’”
Hoadley plans to start her undergraduate career at Rocky Mountain this coming fall.
