Alexa Psotka will trade in her black and orange for maroon and gold next year.

The recruiting process for any athlete can be stressful; but, it can be even harder with a national pandemic taking over the world. Psotka was one of many student-athletes undergoing the rigorous recruiting process while having to remain quarantined and not being able to participate in their sport. 

When it was all said and done, she chose the College of Charleston.

“The recruiting process was crazy for me,” said Psotka. “It all started my freshman year. I contacted many schools and I got lots of looks. My dream has always been to go to D1 for volleyball, so it was frustrating at first when only D2 and D3 schools would contact me.”

During her sophomore year, she started to get more D1 looks, and in her junior year, her club volleyball coach introduced her to the head coach of Charleston, Jason Kepner. Psotka went to visit the campus during the summer, and the coach watched her play in club tournaments. Needless to say, after they saw her play, they were interested in recruiting her. 

“They told me they were super interested. Then COVID-19 hit and everything completely stopped. It was awful,” Psotka said. “I felt as if I would never get to a school because all recruiting was put on pause and it was getting close to the start of my senior year.”

While, Alexa’s questions about what was to come were left unanswered, just like the rest of us, she kept her head held high and remained optimistic about the situation.

When things started to get better in the summer with the virus, Psotka talked to the coach of Charleston and she decided that the College of Charleston was the best fit for her.

“I chose the College of Charleston because of the amazing coaching staff, the campus is beautiful, the girls on the team are amazing, and I feel like I can make an impact on the team,” said Psotka.

After having her college plans all set in stone, Alexa got to enjoy her last season as a Lady Hawk at BPHS. 

Psotka started her senior season in September when the PIAA decided to resume athletic activities.

The girls volleyball team finished the season 12-4 overall and 10-2 in their section. They advanced to the quarterfinals of the WPIAL volleyball championships before succumbing to Moon, who was responsible for three of their four losses this season.

Pstoka reached a landmark in her high school career when she recorded the 1,000th kill of her career in a match against Canon-McMillan.

“This year’s high school experience was like no other year for me,” said Psotka. “Before this year, the group of four seniors (Sam S., Lucia C., and Delaney T.) was never really that close, and it showed on the court. This summer we all became BEST FRIENDS and it made playing so much fun.”

“Alexa is a great kid and a hard worker. She is a go-getter who pushes herself and her teammates. She has been a key to our success,” Bethel Park coach Brooke Muraco said. (Ken Wunderley, Post-Gazette).