From Ohio To Europe: RedHawks Consider International Move

By Scott Sutton

Miami University journalism student

Being able to "go pro" is a fantasy for many college athletes. But for senior volleyball players Paige Hill and Maris Below, it is looking more like a reality.

The two women are considering playing volleyball overseas in Europe after they graduate. No word yet on what teams they might play for, but in January they visited clubs in Austria, Germany, Italy, Slovenia, and Spain.

Hill, from Massillon, Ohio, is a middle hitter/blocker for the RedHawks who led the team with 97 blocks last season.

"She knows how to find the floor with her attacks to score and has amazing vision that allows her to tip shallow or throw the ball to a deep corner," says Miami Volleyball Coach Carolyn Condit. "This makes defenses crazy."

Coach Condit is known as one of the most successful coaches in NCAA history, going into her 34th season as Miami’s Volleyball coach. She enters the 2017 season with a 587-446 record.

Volleyball Life For Hill

Hill first found out about the possibility of playing in Europe from Coach Condit. Then, during her junior year one of her teammates -- a recent grad playing for an Austrian volleyball team in the Division 1 league -- told her about it and she was hooked. She picked her teammate's brain about life and volleyball overseas.

"Volleyball has been my whole life since I was younger and I couldn’t imagine stop playing now," says Hill. "I mean I’m healthy and not worn down so I think I could still play for another year or two."

Hill’s dad, Jim, says he's supportive of his daughter's dream to play in Europe because it will allow her to continue playing a sport she loves while learning more about the world.

"It will also give her the opportunity to travel and to me that is the best way to learn about the world and how people from other places live and think. Better than any book can teach a person," Jim Hill says. "This is not about money or playing pro volleyball, to me it is about being able to take something she loves to do and be able to use it to gain new life experiences that few have the opportunity to do."

Jim Hill does want his daughter to eventually go back to school to get a master's degree, but he knows that volleyball will not be the center of her life forever and taking advantage of this opportunity makes sense right now.

“So far in her life, most doors have opened to her because of athletics. In her next stage of life, it will be her grades while athletics will take a back seat.”

Below Torn Between Work And Play

Below is from Springfield, Missouri, and plays as an outside hitter. She scored the second most points on the team last season, bringing home 307.5 for the RedHawks.

"She plays above her size and shows the ability to power through a block, attack line or find a crafty way to score," says Coach Condit. "Maris is the best all around ball control player to wear a Miami uniform and her passing and defensive skills are top notch."

Below says she's looking at playing overseas as a break between school and the real world.

"I am personally open to playing anywhere, but Spain would be awesome because I’ve studied Spanish for so long," says Below. "No matter where I end up, the pro team will find a place for me to stay once I sign the contract."

While Below has been interviewing for other jobs, she still views playing in Europe as a major chance to keep doing what she is passionate about. Below has been playing volleyball since she was 11 years old and was recruited to play at Miami. Like Hill, Below says she feels she's not quite done playing the sport she loves.

Going Pro Or Overseas Rare

If Hill and Below do end up signing with volleyball teams in Europe, they'll join a small group of Miami University athletes who've gone overseas to continue their athletic careers.

While college athletes going pro usually makes for flashy news stories, a study by the NCAA shows that it's a rare occurrence. The study looked at the number of college athletes who eventually move into a major pro league in their sport. Though volleyball was not examined by the NCAA, the study did find that not even 1-percent of the women playing basketball in college go on to have a pro career when their college days are done.

Below and Hill have a bit of wait before they know if they'll be moving overseas as teams will be making roster changes between April and August.

During their tour of Europe in January, the two women also met with a professional volleyball agency called Bring It USA. The agency specializes in touring university volleyball teams, men and women, across the globe to play internationally.

The two women have recently signed with an agent from Bring It promotions. If a European volleyball team does decide to sign them, then their agent will help them prepare for life overseas.

Photo: Players Maris Below and Paige Hill celebrate a point for their team. -- Photo by Scott Sutton