Prospective college student-athletes often change their minds when the coach instrumental in attracting them to a particular institution personally receives a better, or more preferable offer from somewhere else.
Not Jessie Roukema.
She was recruited to a small, southeastern Kansas school by former Bayfield Volleyball standout Gabriella Rifilato-now Hochanadel. The coach is now an assistant at NCAA Division II Fort Lewis College. BHS' rapidly-developing senior had little hesitation and will play at Hochanadel's previous coaching stop: Neosho County Community College in Chanute, Kan.
"She, like, didn't push me towards it but she really wanted me to go there," Roukema said of Hochanadel's initial involvement in her recruitment. "Because she also wants to see me succeed and go to the next level. So it was nice to have someone that knows my potential and wants me to keep going."
"Jessie.performed beautifully her senior season," BHS head coach Terene Foutz said in an e-mail to the Times. "She worked very hard at learning and dominating our right side pin. What a talent!"
Hochanadel's higher-up at the NJCAA Region VI institute, head coach Asya Herron, apparently agreed.
"They contacted me, looked at me, said that they really wanted me and that they would give me a scholarship!" recalled Roukema, a Second Team All-IML pick in 2014. Her multi-sport abilities also factored into her decision. "I held back a little bit.like, 'No I'll wait a bit longer, decide if there's anything else out there.' Then I realized.they want me as much as I want a college to want someone. So it's really nice they want me."
"I didn't think I was going to be able to go there if I didn't do track or field, because that's also my passion," she continued. "So I talked to Coach.sent me to the track-and-field coach and I talked to him, told him my p.r., and he said that he would love to have me. So that just made it ten times better!"
NCCC ended its 2014 season 16-20 overall. There are seven sophomores NCCC will need to replace before the 2015 season begins.
And Roukema, daughter of Shane and Jerrin, will be part of that process.
But true to the game, opportunity outweighed familiarity and hooked Roukema the hardest.
"I'm so happy that I get to go to the next level and get to compete," she said. "Because, personally, if I didn't, I don't know what I would do. I'm just super excited!"
