Kurry Neel isn’t even supposed to be a senior. And she wasn’t planning on playing college volleyball.
That all changed in a hurry.
Neel accelerated her education, will graduate Coffee County Central a year ahead of schedule, and now she will be playing collegiate volleyball at Tennessee Wesleyan. Neel officially signed in front of friends, family and coaches Wednesday afternoon.
“I thought I was just going to go to college and get started on my PT school,” Neel told Thunder Radio sports. “But I had this opportunity come along and I had to take it.”
Neel was an outside hitter for the Lady Raiders, often destroying opponents with her impressive kill velocity.
“Coach (Andrew) Taylor and my travel ball coach worked hard (to get me recruited). When I went to Tennessee Wesleyan I felt at home.”
Neel explained she was graduating early and wasn’t originally planning to pursue sports.
“No, I thought I would graduate early and just focus on school. This is a true blessing.”
Tennessee Wesleyan is a four-year private university in Athens, Tennessee. Neel plans to pursue a career as a physical therapist, a career path forged after many injuries she dealt with in high school.
“I had to deal with injuries, and when I started following (trainer) Jason around I took an interest in it.”
(photo below: Kurry Neel signs with Tennessee Wesleyan on Wednesday, May 3, 2023. Thunder Radio photo by Josh Peterson).
