KUTZTOWN, PA (October 27, 2010) – Usually what happens in Las Vegas stays there although that's not true in Cali Snell's case.
However, what occurred during a club tournament in the summer of her junior year of high school remains with the affable 6 foot junior forever. She has the light colored scars along with the two metal screws inserted into her left knee as a permanent reminder of the afternoon she tore her anterior cruciate ligament in America's glitziest city.
“It was the first play of the first warm-up of the first match,” Snell said. “I went up and I was hitting a fastball. As I came down, I heard my knee pop. I didn't know what it was at the time. I am not a big crier so I yelled 'oh my God!' because I didn't know what it was. I knew something was wrong. Having surgery was completely devastating.”
Before finding her niche on the volleyball court, Snell had hoop dreams as she was a solid basketball standout at York Suburban High School.
She endured plenty of pain along with long hours of rehabilitation. However, Snell persevered, strengthened her knee, and has developed into one of the best players in the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC). Snell's leaping ability, versatility and competitive drive has fueled the Kutztown University volleyball team's charge to the top of the conference.
“I was always determined and pretty headstrong in everything that I did,” Snell said. “My doctor said I wasn't going to be cleared until at least six months at the earliest. I decided to rehab twice a day to speed up the recovery. I ended up getting cleared in four months and was ready for my senior volleyball season. We've all had setbacks and disadvantages. It hurt me missing a whole year, but it never stopped me.”
After a 10-day break, the Golden Bears, ranked eighth in the NCAA Division II Atlantic Region poll, return to action for the regular season stretch drive. The Golden Bears will play three matches in less than 24 hours this weekend. Kutztown visits Shippensburg University Friday night in a match starting at 7 p.m. The Golden Bears finish the weekend by visiting Millersville University for a noon match followed by a contest against Alderson-Broaddus, also at Millersville.
The Golden Bears (18-7 overall, 8-6 PSAC East) are on a four-game winning streak. They are two wins away from recording 20 wins for the ninth time under coach John Gump. The mini-vacation was well deserved for the Golden Bears who had emotional victories over Lock Haven and West Chester in the space of four days.
Making this year sweet is that the Golden Bears had experienced some tough times the last two years on the court. They won 15 matches in Snell's first year. Last year the Golden Bears took some steps forward winning 16 matches and earning a home PSAC playoff game. Now this season, Kutztown is aiming higher.
“We've been waiting for this season,” Snell said. “This year could not have happened without the past two years. We've grown as a team and the success that we're experiencing is because of what happened the last two years. I am having a lot of fun. I also think that we've all grown up and we've played together for a few years now.”
Snell is playing at a high level for the Golden Bears, which isn't bad for someone who tried out for volleyball because of her height and the constant urging from her friends. It took some time for Snell to get used to slamming balls over the net. Snell hops up-and-down like a kangaroo when she's on the floor.
“Cali has good size and is a very strong player who moves very well,” Gump said. “We can use her to play any tempo in our offense and we ask her to do a lot of different things for us. She has the ability to take over a match at the net, either with her hitting or her blocking. Cali is a very determined player.”
She was at her best this season in a match against Millersville. Snell slammed a season-high 15 kills as the Golden Bears rallied from a 2-0 deficit to beat the Marauders, 3-2. Overall, this season, Snell has eight games with double digit kills. In addition to her 169 kills, Snell also has 70 blocks.
Gump is happy to have Snell as part of his program. He remembers the first time meeting her and seeing her play in person. Now, he enjoys his front row seat of Snell's nightly exploits.
“Before I had a chance to see Cali play in person she came to watch one of our matches in the fall of 2007,” Gump said. “The first thing I noticed was her physical presence and we were eye-to-eye when we shook hands. I first saw her play in January of 2008, at one of the tournaments that kicks off the season for club teams. I was watching her play at Temple and I remember texting my assistant, Cheryl Brattley, who was at a tournament at Villanova, with a simple message: 'Cali Snell (York, PA/York Suburban) is legit.' We recruited her hard after that, but she initially committed to Temple. Around Easter, she had some second thoughts and her dad called to see if our offer was still on the table. It was, and she made the decision to come to KU.”
The political science major is thrilled to be at Kutztown. She has found her niche and like the rest of the members of this fun-loving squad, has a million dollar smile, pleasant personality and is strong in the classroom. Snell has a lot of time to showcase her funny side as after every major victory, Snell playfully shoves Gump before they shake hands.
“I love it here,” Snell said. “When I visited Kutztown, I just knew this is where I belonged. I felt comfortable right away. I consider everybody on this team my sisters. We all get along great with each and I think that's been another key to our success this season. As for my knee, I still experience some soreness from time to time, but it's nothing I can't manage.”
