Sitting behind a table adorned with volleyballs and her jerseys, Katie Smith inked a national letter of intent to play volleyball at Pitt Community College.

“It feels really good to get the pressure off of figuring out where I’m going to go,” Smith said. “It just feels really good.”

When she first started to look at colleges to attend, Smith did not plan on attending Pitt Community College. Still, she decided to fill out an interest form.

A few days later, the Pitt coaches contacted her and asked her to come by for a visit.

“The first minute that I walked into the gym, I loved it,” Smith said. “It was amazing, and when I finally met the coaches and talked, it was like it just clicked.”

Smith started taking volleyball seriously when she joined the Eastern Elite Volleyball Club. Eventually, she decided to give high school volleyball a shot.

“My friends were playing, and I was trying out just to have fun, and I ended up making the varsity team, so I was really excited,” Smith said.

A varsity player for her entire high school career, Smith worked hard every season to get better at craft. This season, as a senior, she had no problems stepping into a leadership role for the Eagles.

“My four years at Rosewood have been really good,” Smith said. “I had to step up and be a leader because our coach left, and we had two new coaches coming in, so I had to step up and be a leader.

“I’ve enjoyed it.”

Smith spent most of her high school career as a middle hitter/blocker. However, for travel volleyball, she plays all over the court, and that versatility will help her excel on the court at Pitt Community College.

“My freshman year, they needed a middle to fill the team, so I was kind of thrown in there because I was one of the tallest,” Smith said. “So, my favorite position is outside, and I’m going to Pitt as an outside/middle, so I’m really excited for that.”

Smith plans on majoring in occupational therapy.