As the Foothill Technology High School (Foothill Tech) girls volleyball team enters the beginning of their season, Channing McClure ‘25 has become a leading contributor in the team’s early success. McClure has been an avid competitor in the sport of volleyball since she was 8-years-old, and with plenty of years of experience under her belt, she has become an integral part of the team throughout her years at Foothill.
McClure plays a crucial role in the team’s defense and offense as middle blocker. Positioned in the middle of the court, proximal to the net, the middle blocker disrupts plays from the opposing side while also maintaining offensive pressure by making hits and maneuvering in order to provide the Dragons with the best chance to take points.
Since 8-years-old, volleyball has been a major part of McClure’s life. She has attended summer camps, played on club teams and, now, competes for Foothill. McClure stated, “I’ve gone to so many camps and made friends with people from different schools … many of my friendships here are based off of volleyball and I think that’s one of the best parts.”
And along with the many friends made along the way, she also has drawn valuable lessons from the sport of volleyball. One of those valuable lessons is that “communication is key.” Often the success of the team is based on the call outs made on the court, along with the supportive talk off of it.
McClure explained, “In volleyball, you have to communicate … and the same goes for life, or else you can’t really do anything.”
After around nine years of playing volleyball, she has accumulated a host of memories that she will hold onto forever. Among these, one of her favorites is a win against Laguna Blanca School.
“We were in the fifth set and down by two … then me and my teammate, [Ashlyn Mullin ‘24], got a kill, I got a block … and we ended up winning on their home court which was satisfying.”
Although McClure does not plan on continuing volleyball in college competitively, she expressed an interest in becoming a coach farther down the line.
McClure and her team look to add more wins to their 2-1 record in their next match on Sept. 3 against Oak Park High School.
