Two-sport standout Maclin signs with Jackson State

 

Jason Peevyhouse

Editor, JP Productions Sports

With a high school resume which includes being a member of five state tournament teams including the first Lady Trojan basketball team to bring a gold ball home to Dyersburg, senior Kalli Maclin will continue her career on both courts as she signed with Jackson State Community College to play volleyball and basketball on Monday morning at DHS.

“I feel excited,” Maclin said following her signing ceremony on Monday morning. “I feel like we can get stuff done since it’s a first-year program for volleyball. I feel like we can make history this year.

“And, for the basketball team, I’ll be around some people I know already so it will be a good atmosphere.”

Maclin said she chose Jackson State because of her interaction with Green Jays Volleyball Head Coach Alexis Kapales.

“I chose Jackson State because Coach K, the volleyball coach, she had reached out to me first,” Maclin explained. “She had faith in me and she was ready for me to be there.

“She was excited for my first visit. I just felt like having a coach that believes in me and is ready to thrive.”

Dyersburg Volleyball Head Coach De’Licia Ahmad said Kalli has made a big impact on the program.

“She has brought a lot of energy and she is one the players that we have leaned on a lot over the past three years,” Ahmad explained.

Maclin’s senior year this past fall was Ahmad’s first as the head coach of the Lady Trojans. She agreed it was beneficial to have someone with the experience Maclin had on the team.

“It’s been nice to have,” she explained. “Sometimes, as a coach, you’re not get the girls to have that spark.

“So it’s nice to have players on the court that can do it themselves.”

Ahmad added it is important for a player like Maclin on the team who has the postseason and championship experience.

“It makes them crave a championship in all sports not just that one,” Ahmad added. “I think basketball kind of helped our volleyball players see that it’s possible for our school.”

Speaking of basketball, Maclin, who became the first player in county history to be a member of four state tournament teams in one sport (freshman year at Dyer County then the last three with Dyersburg), will also play basketball for the Green Jays this upcoming season.

Dyersburg Head Coach Tim Strayhorn is more than familiar with  what Maclin can do on the court.

“She’s meant a lot to me because I’ve been coaching her since she was in about the fourth or fifth grade,” Strayhorn said. “For the program at Dyersburg, she’s done a lot of things that people don’t see on the stat sheet.”

Strayhorn was quick to add Maclin’s graduation will be a big hole to fill next season.

“She’s a great kid,” the Lady Trojans head coach added. “She makes good grades and I never had any trouble out of her.

“She works hard and plays hard each and every day.”

The big-game experience will come in handy when she gets to the college level.

“She’s always worked hard,” Strayhorn said. “She’s got a lot of experience. She is just an all-around good athlete."

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