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When an athlete signs a letter of intent to accept an athletic scholarship, it comes with a sense of closure on a high school career.
A pair of athletes from Homewood-Flossmoor got to feel that Wednesday afternoon, Nov. 10.
“Throughout the recruiting process, it was a lot to try to figure out where I wanted to go. To finally pick a home and a place to be at, it was great to sign and move on to the next chapter of my life,” volleyball senior Bianca Anderson said.
Anderson was one of two Viking girl athletes to make things official, signing with Southern Indiana. The other was softball player Nikki Parrott.
Parrott will matriculate to Lake Forest College to play second base, shortstop and outfield. She’ll also spend some time at the lake.
“I got a good scholarship and I like the coaches. I’ve known them since I was little. I was 11 or 12 when I first went to a camp there,” Parrott said. “I went to campus and there was a beach. That was a selling point. The campus was nice.”
Anderson also played several positions at H-F but will be a middle hitter in college. Coaches tried to keep that in mind and put her in that spot more frequently in regular-season tournaments and whenever else they could this year.
“She’s a very versatile player. She could fit in any front row position. We used her in all positions, actually,” Vikings assistant coach Amy Peto said. “She fit best for us on the right side and she knocked that out of the park, even though middle is her position in the future.”
H-F’s volleyball season ended with a loss to Bolingbrook in the regional finals.
“I’m proud of what I left behind. It didn’t end how we wanted to, obviously, but we were able to come together as a team,” Anderson said.
Anderson wants to major in hospital administration.
Parrott hasn’t yet locked down a major. She’s considering economics. Lake Forest College does well with setting students up with careers after graduation, which Parrott said was important to her.
“There aren’t a lot of women in STEM fields. I feel like coming out of college there will be a high demand for it,” she said. “I want to have flexible hours from my house. I feel like economics and stats will give me what I’m looking for: Good hours and good pay.”