Mt. Pleasant, IA- With her friends, family, and coaches in attendance and one flick of the pen, Addison Clark realized a lifelong dream that involved long drives, arduous workouts, adversity, and triumphs. Clark is set to play collegiate volleyball at Simpson College in the fall.
Yet, it took a visit to the Division III school in Indianola to convince the senior that this was where her dream would take place,
“Actually, a funny story, Simpson was almost like a backup college. Like, I originally almost was gonna cancel it. I’d been to a couple different ones [offers] and then I knew Savannah Walls went there and I was like, she’s always said good things. So I was like, you know, like, let’s go. And then I met the coach and absolutely fell in love with her. You know, she wanted me as a player and as a person, which I thought was really important. And then I loved their facilities. I thought the drive was a good drive. Two hours isn’t bad at all. And I don’t know, I just think everything fit into place. And then all of a sudden, I was like, wow, like this is where I want to go. And it just kind of had that like, this is it feeling.”
Clark’s journey to her “a-ha moment” started before high school, but it was not always a smooth trail. A promising freshman year that saw her start in 34 matches and tally 85 kills led to an injury shortened sophomore year where she missed 13 games.
Not only a heartbreaking development on the court as a player, but a logistical nightmare for wanting to earn a spot at the next level. In these moments, lessons are learned, and determination is formed.
“Honestly, it really scared me, especially for my travel season,” said Clark. “Because, I mean, that was kind of the year where college recruiting started and I was like, well, if I’m not even gonna be able to play, like, how am I gonna get recruited? But I just think, honestly, it was trusting in the process, trusting in the struggle, and just, you know, you have to go through the hard to get to the good. And just good things come to those who are patient. I think that eventually happened to me.”
Patience paid off, as Clark led the team her junior season with 197 kills with a 0.105 kill efficiency, adding 32 blocks, 215 digs, and 13 aces to the season totals for 2nd Team All-SEC honors. It led to Mt. Pleasant winning three more games, including their first-round regional matchup. Expectations were high entering her senior year, but a new head coach would present another obstacle.
Except head coach Alicia Schrader did not receive that memo and neither did Mt. Pleasant, who rattled off 22 wins and their first winning season since 2021 with Clark racking up a team high 281 kills and 317 digs. Her 0.160 kill efficiency and 33 aces were also career highs, leading to another All-SEC 2nd Team nod.
Another hurdle conquered, and Clark was grateful for the coaching hire,
“100% props to our new coaches. They completely turned this program around. I’m so excited for it in the next couple years. They made the team love volleyball again. They made us want to be on the court, want to be with each other. And I think that shows on the court, not just like, as this as a team. But when you don’t like the game, it’s so hard to do well in it. And these coaches completely turned it around. And I’m just so thankful for them and what they’ve done for this program.”
The love of the game, too often people lose it after putting so many hours into it. For Clark, that comradery reinvigorated a need to keep playing,
“I just, I think the biggest part is the love for it. And, like, the love that everybody gives you. It’s not even just like, oh, like, the kill was cool. That’s obviously a great feeling. But when you have your teammates pushing you around and shoving you and just those laughs and memories, like, I mean, how can you not want to be on the court and having fun? I mean, that’s, that’s what volleyball is. It’s fun. And I just, I think when that stops, that’s when you realize that it’s your time to stop, too, you know?”
Clark finished her career at Mt. Pleasant with 640 kills and two All-SEC 2nd Team nominations; now, she will get to start a new journey just two hours away from her hometown, enjoying a dream that seemed so far away all those years ago.
“I mean, little me would be so like, wow,” interjected Clark. “I mean, that’s all I have for it. Because like, honestly, I didn’t think, I mean, I thought it was possible. But also at the same time, I didn’t even know if I wanted to do this in the beginning.
And then I just was like, wow, like, I love volleyball. I loved the people at Simpson. And I was just like, I’m not done yet. And there’s still so much more left to do. And so, I’m just so excited I got the opportunity to do that.”
The Storm is coming off a 19-win season and their first winning record since the 2022 season. Entering her second year at the helm will be Dani Kohut Lynch, who is a two-time Iowa Conference Coach of the Year.
Clark will be studying Pediatric Oncology during her stay at Simpson. It’s an opportunity to give back to something that has personal connections,
“My grandma, she had cancer about when I was three. And also, my aunt had cancer about a year or two ago. And I’ve kind of known since my grandma, I just want to be able to give back to people. And she had amazing nurses and people who helped her. And she was able to overcome that. So, I just want to be that for other people. And I just, that’s always been a dream of mine, being a doctor. And I was just like, I want to help people who’ve gone through the same thing she has.”