Baldwin County High School senior Ella Stapleton is taking her volleyball skills to the next level after she signed a scholarship to play for Bishop State Community College during a ceremony at the high school Wednesday, Feb. 8.

Stapleton has been a part of the Lady Tiger varsity team for three years and each year has received the Most Improved Award. Baldwin County head volleyball coach Betty Heaton said this is an important award because it exemplifies Stapleton’s hard work and coachability.

“It means that they have a good attitude and accepted and wanted input from coaches so they could get better and grow in the sport of volleyball,” Heaton said. “You never hear her complain about conditioning. She believes in the process and what it takes to be successful.”

In addition to her time with the Lady Tigers, where she earned all-county honors this past season, Stapleton has competed in beach volleyball, which has helped improve her defensive skills and made her an even more valuable member of the team Heaton said.

Stapleton will join a young Bishop State team that has already made its presence known in just two years. Bishop State head volleyball coach Nicole Keshock said the team finished third in the Alabama Community College Conference this past season and has already had players transition to Division I schools.

Keschock shared that Stapleton will quickly become an important addition to the team as they strive toward the National Junior College Athletic Association’s national tournament.