I had the privilege to catch up to one of LSU Volleyballs recent 2023 signee Aly Kirkhoff out of Roncalli High School in Indianapolis, Indiana. She took some time out of her schedule to discuss why she chose LSU, the Indiana connection , Tonya Johnson and more.
Aly Kirkhoff
LSU Signee
Roncalli High School
Team Indiana Volleyball Club
Libero
306 digs, 58 assists, 49 aces
First Team All-State in 2022 and 2023
Indiana All-Star 2022 and 2023
2023 AVCA All-American
2022 Ranked No. 2 in Indiana for most digs in a single season
Kirk off on why she chose the LSU Tigers " The community, culture, and support for student-athletes at LSU is unmatched. It felt like home as soon as I stepped foot on campus. This was important to me because i come from a large tight knit family and will be going far from home. I had been a fan of Coach Tonya since I was little and I had always dreamed of playing for her. " She detailed where her admiration of Coach Johnson started "I was drawn to Coach Tonya because I was a huge Texas Volleyball fan and was amazed at their success and her composure through every situation. When I was 11, I saw her at one of my club tournaments. Right after I saw her, I ran up to my mom and told her, “I just saw Tonya Johnson! I wanted to tell her, ‘Hi, my name is Aly Kirkhoff and I’m going to play for you one day!’” I guess dreams really do come true because her I am! "
Currently LSU has two other liberos from the state of Indiana in Ella Hemmings and Erin Carmichael. When i brought that up to her she replied with "I know! Something about the Indiana ball control I guess. " When asked if she had prior relationships with any other players she said " I have not played with any of the other commits, but I played against Ella Hemmings throughout my high school career. I’m excited to play with all of the girls." Staying with the Indiana connection she said of a player who inspired her "I was always inspired by Kendall White, a libero from Indianapolis who played for Penn State. She inspired me to be feisty and continue working to reach my goals."
Aly described her playing style as "gritty, feisty, aggressive, and competitive player. I have a lot of energy." Coach Tonya Johnson's comments after Aly inked with the Tigers "Aly shines as a leader on the defensive side." She added “Her passion and relentless pursuit within the game will elevate our competitiveness at the libero position.” On her relationship with the staff at LSU she said " I feel very close to the coaching staff. I’ve been a fan of Coach Tonya since I was little and as a result, followed Coach Ashley as a player at Texas. I got to know Coach Kevin as he followed me a lot during recruitment. I feel like i have a close connection with Coach Jill ever since she worked with the liberos at the first camp i attended. I’m very excited to see what we can do at LSU because I think the coaches are amazing and are taking the program in the right direction."
On what drives her "I’m a perfectionist, so I love being able to get in the gym and work to improve my game every single day." Regarding her major "I plan to major in Business Management." When not playing volleyball she says "I love to watch sports (college football, college basketball, college softball and IndyCar racing) and take naps."
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