Bob Jones Volleyball Player Kiara Hill Signs With Tennessee State
MADISON- Arriving in Madison and first attending Bob Jones High for the 2017-2018 school year, Kiara Hill was a budding volleyball player who was known for her athleticism. Her superb running and jumping talents as a track athlete were also being tabbed for her play on the volleyball court for the Patriots.
Her enormous natural ability combined with hard work in becoming an elite player enabled Hill to be named First Team All-State in her just completed senior season with Bob Jones and signing an athletic scholarship to Tennessee State. The 5-foot-8, 140-pound senior put her name on the proper paperwork at a recent ceremony held at Bob Jones.
“When I first took up the sport in the fifth grade it was nothing serious and I thought it was just for fun, but in my sophomore season things began to click for me and that’s when I knew I could play the sport pretty well,” said Hill.
Hill, her three siblings and their parents, Derrick and Sheena Hill, arrived in Madison from McComb, Mich. as Derrick Hill is in the U.S. Army. Once settled in, Hill approached the volleyball program at Bob Jones and soon made her way to a starting position. She began to work feverishly with the squad and also joined the local club team, NASA, where she developed into a superb player. In 2018, she had 190 kills and 99 blocks and played in 107 games over her two years with the Bob Jones program, including last season’s Class 7A state runner-up.
Hill is also part of the Patriots’ track team where she participates in sprint races along with the jumping events. Meanwhile, in the classroom, she carries a 3.67 grade point average and is looking into studying to become a veterinarian.
Various schools took an interest in Hill’s volleyball skills including Wallace State, UAH and Winston-Salem, but Tennessee State came calling after their initial conclusion of telling Hill they did not need her.
“I prayed for this opportunity and waited my turn,” said Hill. “After they viewed my highlight tape they contacted me as the program changed coaches. They changed their mind. I’m glad they did as my goal all along was to sign with a Div. I program.”
Hill’s father nearly missed the signing ceremony as he was deployed to Afghanistan and only recently arrived home just in time to see his daughter make a place among college volleyball.