Amarillo College volleyball lands former Bushland standout, Colorado Mesa transfer Kaela Neie
Returning home to be with family and continue her college volleyball career was an opportunity Kaela Neie could not pass up.
The former Bushland two-time state champion and Colorado Mesa University transfer will join the Amarillo College volleyball program this upcoming spring, according to AC head coach Scott Sandel.
“She is a tremendous addition to the program and has the ability to be one of the best outside hitters in the conference,” he said. “Being good on the pins is important and she’s going to be a person that can really highlight that and help us in the that area.”
The 6-foot Bushland native was an all-state honoree as a junior on the Lady Falcons state championship team and an all-state honoree on Bushland’s runner-up squad in 2022.
Neie competed for the Mavericks in Grand Junction during her freshman season at the NCAA Division II level.
The outside hitter, who played for the Amarillo Xtreme Volleyball Club in high school, will be the second Bushland High graduate to play for the Badgers in program history. She’ll join former teammate Rachel Russell, who was Amarillo College’s starting libero in the latter half of the 2023 season.
Neie said that a multitude of factors played into her decision to play volleyball at AC, with proximity to home, familiarity with team members, and respect for Scott Sandel being at the top of the list.
“I wanted to come back closer to home to be able to see my family more and for the opportunity to play volleyball at Amarillo College. There’s nothing really like Texas Panhandle volleyball” she said. “I know Scott is a really good coach and I’ve heard that from many people. Rachel and I are really good friends and I knew I’d fit in really good with the team. I know a lot of them already, so I knew the team chemistry would be there from the start.”
Neie plans on attaining an associate degree at Amarillo College and continuing her education at a four-year college with hopes of pursuing a career as a graphic designer.