Junior Makayla Long recently made the one thousand mile move to the desert from Oregon. Her family made the move to be closer to her mom’s hometown; as well as seeing her extended family and brothers, who are out here for college,  there was also something special about being a student at this school, that stood out to her. 

“I came here on a visit on spring break and I met Tatum Stall who introduced the team to me,” She said. “It just seemed like a welcoming place…We saw that it was a really good school,” Long said. 

Stall, senior outside hitter said “I’m seeing a lot of potential from her, a lot of our balls are going to go to her.’’ She also referred to Long as “our secret weapon.” 

Long has made many accomplishments in volleyball in her past, since beginning competitive volleyball as an eighth grader. “My freshman year I got second team all state in Oregon… I got first team all week last year as a sophomore,” Long said. 

Her biggest accomplishment however, is yet to come. “I’m looking for a scholarship but I haven’t had that opportunity yet.” 

Long wants to continue her success in volleyball, and is determined to play in college. “It’s undecided where I want to go, but I definitely want to play at a D1 level,” She said. 

Long has found her place with the volleyball team, and it has been a relatively easy transition to Perry. “It really hasn’t been too difficult. Right away I was involved in volleyball and they were all so welcoming so I had instant friends,” she said.  

The only minor setback being a sprained ankle, she was able to recover from the injury and come right back into practicing before their games against the other schools in the region like Basha, Corona, Hamilton, and Xavier who end up in the playoffs. “They always give us a good tough time and give us a good run for our money,” Stall said. 

Head Coach Fred Mann said “It’s always your goal to go after state championships, it’s easy to say and hard to do… There is a lot that needs to go into the process.” 

The “process” is going well for the volleyball team this year however, for players like Makayla Long who are disciplined, and “smart as a volleyball player” as Mann said.  

The Pumas have a home game against Basha on Oct. 1 at 6 p.m., so be ready to “come and support, be loud and rowdy,” Long said.