Her sports may have dwindled from three to one, but Kendall Humphrey hasn’t changed a bit.
Always smiling, always cheering and always dominating on the volleyball court.
“It is nice to focus on one and prioritize volleyball,” Humphrey said.
It has been a stellar start to the junior college career for the former all-C2BL MVP, leading the Lower Columbia College volleyball team in kills at 163 through 14 matches and already at 150-plus digs as well as 17 service aces.
Humphrey is averaging over three kills per set in helping the Red Devils try to get out of the below .500 threshold at 6-8 overall, but they sit at 2-1 in the league following a sweep of Green River on Wednesday.
“Making new connections and getting used to new people on the court is fun,” Humphrey said. “College seems so much bigger, it is just different.”
One of the last matches in September was LCC coming north to take on Centralia College. It allowed Humphrey to see friends and old coaches after securing a 3-0 victory. The right-hander led the attack with 14 kills on the night, including the last one in a back-and-forth opening set.
She alongside Mossyrock grad Chesney Schultz are the two local products on the roster.
“It was awesome,” Humphrey said.
When LCC head coach Troy Shorey was recruiting Humphrey, he admittedly wasn’t sure how much impact she'd have in the front row. Throughout her prep career, Humphrey was primarily a middle hitter, but still was all over the court in each rotation.
As soon as Shorey saw her in practice and early-season contests, he had answers.
“She came in for workouts in the summer and just reminded us why we went after her,” he said. “She’s used to going against bigger blockers, so that has helped her make the transition (to the outside). She’s done a great job.”
Since basketball and softball were officially off the responsibility list, it allowed Humphrey to spend more time in the weight room and gym harnessing her craft. What has followed his nine games with double digit kills.
Her height is listed at 5-foot-8. She plays much taller.
“Her running a faster offense on the outside is not a big transition for her,” Shorey said.
“It is nice to be able to jump and play bigger than I am,” Humphrey added. “Super grateful for him believing in me and my team believing in me, too.”
The NWAC West Region is jumbled at the top with three teams all at 3-1 with the Red Devils a game back in the win column. They get five of the final nine league games on their home court, a stretch that includes three games in 10 days against the trio of squads ahead of them.
For a player that has won numerous state titles and understands what it takes to win consistently, Humphrey knows what lies ahead.
“It has so much momentum behind it going into the rest of the league,” she said of the win over CC. “My goals are a lot higher.”
And Shorey is glad she’s on his sideline.
“To the rest of the league, they're gonna be a little bit surprised,” Shorey said. “She blends in with that group. They mesh really well.”
