Porter lives her dream

There is no bond with a tighter grip on Sidney High School graduate Abbi Porter than her family. But she sure loves volleyball too.

Bring up the subject of volleyball with Porter and her eyes light up and a smile overwhelms her face from one ear to the next. She's wanted to play volleyball – and play it well – since she was a little girl. And she has spent countless hours in practice chasing that human illusion called perfection.

After earning four varsity letters playing volleyball at Sidney, Porter last represented the Raiders at the West Nebraska All-Star Volleyball game over the summer. She was named the West Team MVP. But that wasn't her her swan song. Since then she realized a long-held dream of playing college volleyball. This past November, Porter finished her freshman year playing for the Bellevue (Neb.) University Bruins.

"I first met (Abbi) as a sophomore and early on she shared with me a desire to play college ball," said the Raiders' head volleyball coach Sarah Wilson. "There was always a bit of focus on helping her grow in her understanding of the game and in her skills to prepare her for the next level."

Wilson added that she enjoyed following Porter's season from afar. While the Bruins went 22-20, Porter started 12 games and played in 35. She began as a middle blocker and later moved to the outside. She finished her season with 82 kills and scored 96.5 points.

"It was a real transition for me," Porter said. "A lot of my teammates were a lot more experienced than I was. So it's like going to a team where everyone is just as good as you or better. I wasn't used to that."

One of the competitive disadvantages Porter faced upon arriving at Bellevue was playing with and against players who had competed in volleyball year round. Porter never played club ball. But Porter's work ethic and desire to improve gives her an unlimited ceiling according to her college coach.

"She was a great role player for us last season," said Bruins' head coach Trish Siedlik. "The great thing about Abbi is that she will do whatever you ask her to do. The team comes first to her and those are the type of athletes we want and need in our program."

In a transition year during 2014, Bellevue had a roster consisting of nine freshmen and just one senior. Though the Bruins have had an impressive run of success under Siedlik, the team dropped its first 11 games of the year. But the potential of things to come became evident when Bellevue finished its season on a 22-9 run.

Considering Siedlik, whose record at Bellevue is 252-80, had taken the Bruins to seven consecutive NAIA national tournaments, it's not surprising the team figured out a winning formula.

But the team's sluggish start isn't all that unlike Porter's experiences as a high school freshman. The Raiders finished 7-24 in Porter's first season and gradually progressed to a fourth-place finish at state in her junior year. In Porter's senior campaign, Sidney won a District B-8 championship.

Though volleyball remains a major passion for Porter, she has always been well rounded with a multitude of interests. Besides volleyball, Porter is an outstanding student. She also earned four letters on the basketball court and two in track.

"My fondest memories from volleyball was beating Norris at state my junior year," said Porter of the five-set thriller. "My favorite memory from basketball was definitely winning the district championship when we were down by 12 with only a few minutes left. I have never felt so genuinely happy after the final buzzer sounded in that game."

Porter also established five new Raiders' records. In her final year on the volleyball court she had the most kills in a match (20) and most blocks in a match (10.5). In basketball, she was a defensive standout where set three new Raiders' records for blocked shots. She set the standard for a game (9), season (116) and career (180).

As an outstanding student at Sidney, she was a member of the National Honor Society for three years and the science club for two years. She was also named a Western Conference Scholar Athlete.

In her quieter moments, she tunes in to American Horror Story, Friday Night Lights or One Tree Hill. When she puts on the headphones, it's a good bet she'll be listening to Florida Georgia Line or Lana Del Rey. Upon her return from Bellevue for the holiday break, the first place she wanted to go was her favorite restaurant – Mi Ranchito – with her parents, Dave and Carol.

But what she enjoyed most during the Christmas break was watching her brother Mitch and sister Maddi play varsity sports. Maddi, a sophomore, is a starter on the Lady Raiders' basketball team. Though just a freshman, Mitch earned his way onto a talent-rich varsity basketball squad.

One of Porter's greatest joys was the opportunity to play volleyball with Maddi during her senior season. Though just a freshman at the time, Maddi earned a spot on the Raiders' team as the starting libero.

"They make me proud," Porter said. "I wish I could see more of their games, but thanks to the Sidney Broadcasting team, I usually get to watch most of (the games) online, which is cool. I miss playing volleyball with Maddi so much."

As for her future at Bellevue, Siedlik is looking forward to the Bruins' future and the part she expects Porter to play.

"We're looking forward to Abbi playing a much bigger role in the next three years," Siedlik said. "I am really excited about Abbi's continued growth and development in our program. She will be a key to our continued success."