Hockaday A Late Gift For Cyclones

AMES, Iowa ? The old expression is “good things come to those who wait.” When referring to sophomore Rachel Hockaday's impact on the Iowa State volleyball team, that saying couldn't be more accurate.

Hockaday was a late addition to Iowa State's 2008 recruiting class, committing to ISU head coach Christy Johnson-Lynch and the Cyclones after a coaching change caused her to have second thoughts about her original commitment to Ohio.

The decision to de-commit from Ohio stemmed from the Decatur, Ill. native wanting to play for a coach that recruited her.

“After Ohio's coaching staff left, I knew I wanted to get a release from there and start the recruiting process back up again,” Hockaday said. “Ohio was, and still is, a great program, but I wanted to play for a coach that had recruited me. I just felt like it wasn't the place for me anymore.”

The choice didn't come without reservations for the 6-0 outside hitter.

“I did have some reservations about getting a release from Ohio since it was so late in my senior year,” Hockaday added. “I didn't know if any schools even needed an outside hitter for the 2008 class. I only had a few months left of club ball, which gave schools little time to come out and re-recruit me.”

Ohio's loss proved to be Iowa State's gain.

The Cyclones had seen Hockaday play the first time around, but when her club coach, Andy Erins, contacted them after her change of heart, ISU's coaching staff wanted to take another look.

“We had seen her a little bit early in the recruiting process, but hadn't really recruited her hard the first time around,” Johnson-Lynch said. “So we had to get out and see her again and after a few times we decided the things she did well we could really use and she seemed to be such a great fit that second time around. She was exactly what we were looking for and we were exactly what she was looking for.

"You hate to use the word destiny, but everything just fit so well. We had the scholarship available and she needed somewhere to go. The timing was just perfect."

So Johnson-Lynch made the trek to Illinois to watch the crafty outside hitter practice and liked what she saw. The following week, Hockaday and her parents, John and Cheryl, visited Iowa State and the sophomore knew it was where she wanted to be.

“Everything about it felt right ? the team, the school, the coaches,” Hockaday said. “I just really believed in what Christy and her staff were doing here. I saw the potential the team had to be a top contender for a national championship, playing in such a competitive conference such as the Big 12. I just had to be a part of it.”

From the day she stepped on campus, Hockaday made an immediate impact. She played all six rotations for last season's Elite Eight team and became just the fifth freshman in school history to average over two kills and two digs per set, earning a spot on the Big 12's All-Freshman Team.

Hockaday's success surprised even her coach, who knew she had a lot of talent, but also was aware of the demands of playing in the Big 12.

“It was so unexpected,” Johnson-Lynch said. “I thought she was really talented, but it's so hard for freshmen to come in and play at this level. For her to come in and play as, I think, an undersized outside and do so well says a lot about her and her talent. She's such an amazing passer and ball handler. That's half the reason she's on the court, because she's so exceptional at that. She just kind of filled the void that we needed and from the very first practice she was on the starting side and never looked back. It was so evident she had to be on the court from the very first practice."

So how does an undersized outside hitter make such an impact in this league, which is annually regarded as one of the nation's best?

"She has a lot of shots. She likes to tool the block, hit the seam and she'll roll the ball over,” Johnson-Lynch said. “She is undersized for this level, but because she has a lot of different shots she can still be successful. She has learned since she came here to have even more shots. She can really hit the line and use the block very well now and she understands she has to do that to be successful. She's just embraced it."

A calm and composed player on the court, Hockaday rarely lets off any negative vibes and has taken to being one of the Cyclones' leaders according to Johnson-Lynch.

"I definitely think she is growing into a leader,” Johnson-Lynch said. “I can really see that. For example, a couple of weekends ago at Colorado, she really struggled early, might have even been hitting negative, but ended up hitting .500. If she struggles, though, you know at some point later in the match she's going to get going because she's just so competitive. She continues to work hard and where other players might start to doubt or take themselves out of the match mentally, she just continues to work hard and you know she'll get into it."

Without a doubt, hard work and perseverance landed Hockaday in Ames. When asked if she's happy with her decision, she's that confident, humble player that smashed six kills in the fifth set of ISU's upset win over No. 2 Texas last week.

“I thank God every day that he has blessed me enough to have the opportunity to play at such a high level with such a great team,” Hockaday said. “I'm so glad I am here, and I hope we can continue our success and one day compete for a national championship.”