AMHERST — Deme Morales had plenty of Division I colleges interested in her.

One stood out above all the rest: Wisconsin.

“They saw so much potential in me, and they really wanted me,” said Morales, a senior at Amherst. “I’m not saying others didn’t want me, but they (Wisconsin) put a lot of time into explaining why they wanted me. They have a lot to offer me as an athlete and student.”

That’s why Morales, a Division I first-team All-Ohio selection a year ago, has made an oral commitment to play for the Badgers next year. Morales, a middle hitter for the Comets, will be a defensive specialist for head coach Pete Waite.

The switch to a different position stems from Morales’ height. Even though she has remarkable jumping ability, at 5-foot-7 she might be best suited to play on the back row.

Morales was offered scholarships by Ohio State, Xavier, Eastern Michigan, Dayton and Western Kentucky. She was a middle hitter in ’09 and was an outside hitter her freshman and sophomore years.

More photos below.

Still, she admitted that not all colleges saw her as a defensive specialist.

“Some wanted me to play all-around,” Morales said. “I did have the opportunity to play outside on some high-level programs. It was a hard decision.”

Morales had even made a commitment to attend Xavier. She changed her mind after the university replaced its head coach this summer.

“They (Wisconsin) saw me at a tournament in Chicago this summer with my Junior Olympic team,” Morales said. “I guess that was when they became interested in me.”

Morales added that a visit to the UW campus did much to influence her decision, as did the strong academic reputation of the university.

“I really loved it,” Morales said. “I didn’t think it was too big. I mean, it’s big, but you don’t get that feeling of getting lost there. I loved the lakes (Mendota and Monoma).”

Morales is undecided on a major.

Amherst finished 23-4 in 2009 and reached the Norwalk regional championship. Morales had 530 kills (5.8 kills per game) last season and averaged 3.5 digs and 1.5 blocks per game. She will play middle hitter again this season.

“Great players can play a variety of positions,” Amherst coach Laurie Cogan said. “Deme falls into that category. Great high school stars frequently move to new positions in college.”

Cogan has coached the Comets for 20 seasons. She said Morales is the third player of hers to have been recruited by a Big Ten university and the first one to accept a scholarship to one. Cogan added that Morales’ defense has improved dramatically from last season.

“She’s really only had two years of defense,” said Cogan, explaining that a back injury Morales suffered her freshman year kept her out of defensive drills.

“It shows her versatility,” Cogan said of Morales’ switch to the back row. “She has changed positions for me and she has always been productive no matter where I have put her. I’m sure she will play at a very high level in college.”

Contact Steve Byrne at 329-7135 or ctsports@chroniclet.com.

---

Print this story
Report an inappropriate comment

---

In order to comment, you must agree to our user agreement and discussion guidelines.

Need help? Email Us.

---