Five seniors from Daviess County signed to continue their athletic careers at the collegiate level during a ceremony at the high school Wednesday.
Meredith Campbell announced her plans to keep playing soccer at Transylvania University. Ashton Johnson and Delaney Evans are both headed to Asbury University for volleyball, while Sydney Howard signed with Asbury for softball. Rounding out the group is Kiersten Lanham, who will stay local to play softball at Kentucky Wesleyan College.
SOCCER – Meredith Campbell
Campbell shined in her senior season, finishing with 17 goals and 14 assists to bring her career totals to 40 and 44, respectively. Over the last four years, she helped the team to a 63-23-4 record that included four district titles and two region championships.
From head coach David Sandifer:
Meredith is one of those kids that is extremely passionate. She works incredibly hard and she’s a good student. I think she’s going to be a great benefit to Transy. She was a leader on our team and the younger girls looked up to her. She set the tone a lot with her work ethic.
From Campbell:
Playing at DC – The majority of my soccer skills came from my high school career, especially when it comes to competitiveness, hard work, dedication, grit, all of that. It’s kind of been my life. At Daviess County I played with a lot of heart and a lot of emotion. Playing in the state tournament meant so much to me.
Playing in college – I see it as a great opportunity. I see it as four more years to do what I love. I’ve always thought about it since I was little. I’ve had Transy in mind for a really long time, but I didn’t really start getting serious into the soccer aspect until the past two years.
Why Transylvania – I love the idea of a private school in a big city. My sister went to Transy before I did and she said it was the perfect mixture of athletics, academics and a social life. It seemed like a good fit for me.
VOLLEYBALL – Ashton Johnson and Delaney Evans
The duo helped lead the Lady Panthers take a big step forward over the last season. With the mindset of everyone on the team truly playing for each other, Johnson and Evans helped guide DC to a 19-10 record — their first winning season since 2015. Johnson was key as an outside hitter and had 216 kills, while Evans was a defensive specialist and had 172 digs.
From head coach Tyla Bailey:
Both are great leaders and great assets on and off the court, and they brought dedication and positivity. I never had to worry about younger girls feeling excluded or like they didn’t belong because Ashton and Delaney were always so good at taking them under their wing. It means a lot just to know that two DC girls are going together and will continue to play and take the chemistry with them.
From Johnson:
Playing at DC – It’s really taught me how to be a better person. I’ve met some of my closest friends. I know more about the game now than I ever did. This year we meshed more as a team and we all played together, and that helped us more in games when we played bigger teams.
Playing in college – I started to realize that I wanted to play in college during my freshman year when I really started to get more intense into the varsity level playing. It’s definitely a great accomplishment for me. It’s something that I love to do and I’m very excited to go and pursue that dream.
Why Asbury – They are just a very good Christian college. I loved the team there and I really like all the girls I met.
From Evans:
Playing at DC – It has really meant a lot. My coaches and my teammates have made it such a memorable four years. I’ve also learned a lot of life lessons. Even if people doubt you and try to keep you from reaching your goal, you still have to pursue your goals and your dreams.
Playing in college – During this high school season I didn’t really know if I was going to move on or not. After my last volleyball game I thought ‘This can’t be over. I love this sport. I can’t stop playing.’ I decided to move on and I’m just so excited.
Why Asbury – I’m going to school to be an elementary education major and I’m getting a minor in youth ministry. They have a really good teacher education program and they are a religious school. That’s one of the biggest things I chose them for.
SOFTBALL – Sydney Howard and Kiersten Lanham
Howard and Lanham have helped carry on the winning culture of the Daviess County softball program over the last several years, and that has largely been a result of their dedication and hard work. Playing in whatever roles were necessary, the duo has been part of DC teams that went 68-33 with two district titles and one region championship over the last three seasons.
From head coach John Biggs:
They’ve been in our program since middle school. They’ve been patient and they’ve worked extremely hard. Sydney really came into her own as a sophomore and was able to help us at the varsity level defensively. Last year she really had a breakout year offensively. Kiersten kind of came into her own a little bit last year and got some varsity action. We’re hoping they can keep building and help us this year.
From Howard:
Playing at DC – It’s been a long process to work my way up. The further along that I’ve gotten, the more it’s meant to me and the more connections that I’ve made with all the younger and older girls. Playing for Daviess County has helped me learn to work with people better and understand what a team is really about.
Playing in college – By my junior year I decided I didn’t want to give anything up softball-wise. It’s such a big opportunity and I’m so excited. I hope I can show out like I have throughout my high school career and grow more as a player and a person.
Why Asbury – I like how close but far away it is from home. I love the campus and I love the community. I wanted to go to a smaller school.
From Lanham:
Playing at DC – Daviess County is like a second family to me. The teammates are like my sisters and the coaches are parent figures because they care about you on and off the field. We’ve also worked a lot on training and conditioning and building up strength and endurance to become better softball players.
Playing in college – It’s a blessing. My dream was to play in college. I never thought that it would come true, but I’m glad it did. Last year I started commuting with KWC, and that’s when I first got an offer to play there.
Why KWC – I know a lot of the girls on Wesleyan’s team and I’ve known the coach for a while. They have a pretty good program and their school has a good program that I’m looking for.
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