Mars senior Cecilia Christy, an Elon women’s volleyball commit, shows off her future school’s apparel. Submitted photo

Cecilia Christy and her family turned athletic trips into academic ones, as well.

The Mars volleyball senior, a driving force in the Planets winning a WPIAL Class 3A title and finishing PIAA runner-up last season and trending that way again, began playing AAU basketball in sixth grade, then picked up club volleyball two years later.

“Obviously, that was a lot of travel with all of those tournaments,” said Christy, an Elon women’s volleyball commit. “Every tournament I was at, if there was a college nearby, we made it a point to go visit that, and I think that really helped me when it came to figuring out what I was looking for in a school.”

Christy strolled around plenty of schools in the Big Ten and Big 12, even if she hadn’t been in touch with their volleyball programs.

While at a travel hoops tournament in Raleigh, N.C., Christy and her father decided to check out Elon’s campus. At the time, she said, she wasn’t sure yet whether she wanted to play basketball or volleyball in college.

Elon’s suburban environment stood out to Christy, who doesn’t label herself as a city person. The campus itself wasn’t too big or small. She liked a courtyard there, too.

“Elon was kind of something that I always had in my mind,” Christy said.

Christy, who has 139 kills, 38 blocks and 15 aces this season, decided in July 2024 her athletic future was in volleyball. Elon assistant coach Willie Whealen reached out then. A few months later, he stayed on with the program after a head coaching change that gave Matt Troy the reins.

In March, Christy returned to Elon for her official visit.

“It was one of those things where I kinda can’t describe it,” Christy said. “But it was like, ‘If you know, you know.’ ... I love the location. I loved the campus.”

Christy told her mother on the flight home she was sure Elon is the school for her. She’d also had an offer from Loyola-Maryland and was in contact with Ohio, Villanova, Virginia Commonwealth, UNC Wilmington and Charlotte.

Christy plans on studying business and marketing. She’d like to work in sports public relations someday.