Cassie Defibaugh decided this past summer that she wanted to play a sport before she graduated from Crothersville High School.
“I’ve always wanted to play volleyball, but I let everyone get in my way,” Defibaugh. “But I said ‘this is my senior year and I’m going to go for it.’ It was amazing. I’ve never felt so rushed, and just being able to play volleyball made me feel so included in everything, and winning.
“My friends and family, everybody was there to support me.”
Defibaugh played with the Tigers prior to her freshman year.
“It was like a summer league-type thing,” Defibaugh said. “It was a change of heart (that fall). There was a lot going on that year for me.”
This fall she was a back row specialist for the Tigers.
“I played wherever they needed me,” Defibaugh said. “I received serve and passed. Our coaches always said to keep your platform, don’t swing your arms and don’t worry about the fans, just be in the game.”
She said passing was the strongest part of her game.
“You just had to keep your hands together and keep your arms straight out. You had to be in control,” Defibaugh said. “Communication is very important because if you don’t talk you could have several people going after the ball at the same time and it just ends in a big collision.”
She said you had to work hard in practice to prepare for the games.
“Practice is very important. If you don’t go to practice you’re not going to know what’s going on during the game because in practice they tell you everything that is going to go on, so for me all my practices were important,” Defibaugh said “So, if I didn’t go to practice I was lost.”
Defibaugh has enjoyed attending CHS.
“It’s more one-on-one because our school is so small that we’re all like a family here,” Defibaugh said. “Whether you like someone or not, you’re still family to them because everyone is just so nice here. This has been the best year of my life, honestly. Playing volleyball got me more involved with my school life and with more people because if I wouldn’t have played volleyball I wouldn’t know all the people I know.”
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Name: Cassie Defibaugh
High school: Crothersville
Parents: Wendy and Monte Defibaugh
Siblings: Amber, Cody, Cory, Jerry, Brandon, Jacob, James
Sports: volleyball 1 year
Organizations: student council, S.A.D.D., science club, history club, Sunshine Society
Plans after high school: attend college study nursing
Favorite food: pizza
Favorite TV show: Grey’s Anatomy
Favorite movie: "The Fault in Our Stars"
Favorite team: University of Kentucky
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