Davis

PARKER — Kelli Davis, a sophomore setter on the A-CValley varsity volleyball team, has been selected to play in the King Kamehameha Volleyball Classic in Honolulu, Hawaii, this summer.

A three-sport starter at A-CValley, Mitchell is also an outside hitter for the Black Bandits' Junior Olympic volleyball squad in New Bethlehem.

She is one of 13 high school players selected to play for Team Pennsylvania in this competition.

"To be picked for something as big as this, coming from such a small school, it really hasn't sunk in yet,"Davis said.

The event is sponsored by Elite Sports International. Approximately 38 states swill be participating in the national competition from July 10-17.

Selection for the squad was based on skill, sportsmanship and academic standing. Davis carries a 3.7 grade point average.

Davis needs to raise $1,500 by April 1 to make the trip. She has raised $300 thus far.

"I'm selling T-shirts for $20 each and that's been going well," she said. "Half of that money goes toward my trip. Businesses have been very supportive, too."

Davis has only been playing volleyball for four years. She was an outside hitter for the Falcons last year before moving to setter this past season.

A-CValley finished 2-7 this year. The Black Bandits reached at least the semifinal round of every tournament it played.

"We lost some players and didn't have any setters. I can play a number of positions, so I just moved into that spot,"Davis said.

Davis serves as starting point guard on A-CValley's basketball team and starts at first base in softball. She's been playing those sports for nearly eight years each.

Volleyball is the game she hopes to continue playing in college some day. The King Kamehameha Classic may help in that way as 35 to 45 college coaches are involved in the event.

Each participating state's team is coached by a college coach. Julie Gaul of Carlow College and Susan Hozak of St. Vincent College are guiding two Pennsylvania squads in the event.

"Volleyball's become my favorite sport,"Davis admitted. "It's more competitive. You can be down a lot of points, but with rallies, you can come back from almost any deficit."

The daughter of Jim and Traci Davis-Fair of Parker, and Greg and Diane Hughes of West Sunbury, Davis plans to join the Army after high school. She wants to pursue a degree in Physical Rehabilitation and work with amputees.