Courtesy photo Hollis Brookline seniors Kaleigh Whalen, left, and Sammie Sheppard will continue their volleyball careers at UNH and the University of Pacific, respectively.

HOLLIS – This dream came true, times two.

It was a dream for both Hollis Brookline High School senior girls volleyball standouts Sammie Sheppard and Kaleigh Whalen to not just play Division I college volleyball, but to do it at certain schools.

Sheppard, who is originally from California, wanted to play somewhere there in the so-called “mecca” of volleyball. Whalen, meanwhile, developed an affinity for the University of New Hampshire program since the Wildcats began recruiting her a couple of years ago.

Missions accomplished.

Sheppard recently signed a letter of intent to play for the University of Pacific in Stockton, Cal., while the University of New Hampshire just announced Whalen as one of six recruits the Wildcats have added to their 2020 roster.

Both have been All-State selections multiple times; Sheppared was a First Team All-State player while Whalen made Second Team this year.

“I’m really excited, and I’m so glad Sammie got something from California, because she’s dreamed of playing there for so long,” Whalen said. “She’s going to be amazing out there, she’s an amazing player.

“It’s really exciting we both get to live out our dreams.”

It’s exciting for the Cavaliers too, and their coach, Becky Balfour.

“Kaleigh is our first HB player to make the UNH program, and I can count on my hands the number of New Hampshire players who ever made the program,” Balfour said. “And Sammie playing Division I in Cali (California). Not sure a New Hampshire player has ever done that. I’ve coached in New Hampshire for 30 years and don’t recall that.”

Both players are going to their schools without scholarship money, but with the opportunity to earn that based on their play.

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“I’m very excited,” Sheppard said. “It’s been my dream to play in California since I was 12, it’s really cool I actually get to live that out.”

Balfour called Sheppard, the Cavs’ four-year starting libero, “one of the best players I’ve coached in 30 years. She is a phenomenal student-athlete. She had a phenomenal career in middle school and high school.”

What’s even more incredible is Sheppard suffered a concussion a couple of years ago that limited her vision, yet she still was able to compete her sophomore and junior year.

“I couldn’t see very well when I was playing,” she said. “It was very difficult. I just powered through it, had physical therapy and a huge support system.”

And she was in time able to regain her normal vision. No surgery was necessary.

What does Sheppard think she’ll need to do to play at a Division I level? And she knows it’s an upper level at that, against teams like Pepperdine and BYU loaded with powerful 22-year-olds.

“It’s going to be difficult,” she said. “The level in California in high school is quite a bit higher. The recruits coming in have seen higher level than I have at this point. It’s going to be a lot of working out, training my eye, and spending more time in the gym. … Hopefully it won’t take too long.”

How does Pacific discover a libero from across the country? Actually Sheppard, who will major in bio chemistry, helped make it happen; she was aggressive and via a college recruiter her family hired, made the connection with Pacific. She played in a club tournament in Kansas City and the Pacific staff, led by head coach Greg Gibbons, liked what it saw. Sheppard, according to Balfour, is also expecting to play on the Pacific Beach team as well.

She’s been working out with the Pacific training program, doing what she can at home. A special training next month has been cancelled due to the pandemic, but Sheppard is still set to begin her new chapter.

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Meanwhile, Whalen loved the UNH campus and was recruited by the former coaching staff as a sophomore, and “I was able to get to know the team, some of the girls. … I thought it would be such a great place to continue playing. I’ve gotten to know the program for awhile now.”

She was jolted a bit when there was a coaching change over a year ago, but reached out to last year’s new coach, Chris Feliciano, and he gave her a welcoming response. “It was really nice to have that,” she said.

“I really like what Whalen can potentially bring to our program,” Feliciano said. “She’s long, athletic, and is committed to improving every day.”

Whalen, who has been an outside hitter but sometimes in the highly regarded off-season SMASH club program has hit from the right side, knows what she needs to do to improve her game for the Division I level. She’s been given workouts to execute from the UNH training staff.

“I really think I need to get a lot faster as an athlete,” she said. “My speed needs to increase. I’m definitely not very tall (5-10) compared for D-I at all, so my back row defense has to be worked on a lot. My speed and aggression is what I’ve been working on for awhile.”

“Kaleigh is a very fierce competitor,” Balfour said. “She’s coming at you, but she’s coming at you with a twinkle-in-her-eye kind of thing. Her personality was a perfect balance of she’s in it to win it, but had a relaxed confident manner that put her teammates at ease.”

With no off-season program to compete in thanks to the pandemic, Whalen’s father Tom built a wooden slanted platform for her to hit a volleyball off of, and she’s also batted the ball back and forth with her brother Patrick.

Right now, UNH plans on opening for the fall, but Whalen, who will go in as undeclared for a major, hasn’t been given any specifics yet or if preseason will be pushed back. The Wildcats did cancel their annual summer camp.

“It’s really rewarding,” Balfour said. “It’s a testimony to the athletes we’ve had. Both Sammie and Kaleigh started at really young ages, and just have worked tremendously hard year round for many years.

“I’ve known Kaleigh as long as Sammie, and it’s been a joy for me to watch them grow. … They’re two really incredible young women.”

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