Robertson inks deal with Hastings College

Summerland volleyball standout Lydia Robertson made it official Wednesday, Nov, 20, signing a letter of intent for volleyball at Hastings College.

Robertson finished her Summerland career with more than 900 kills, 1,000 digs and 1,500 assists.

She said she has always loved the game. She started playing in youth league, where her mom, Angie, coached.

"She played a little bit in college and I was like, 'Man, I want to be just like you.' It's always been a dream of mine," Robertson said, moments after inking the deal.

After visiting Hastings last spring, Robertson was impressed with the program. Yet, she wanted to experience other colleges and "get the vibe."

Two weeks ago, she made a second visit to Hastings. Robertson's cousin, Kinzi Havranek, also plays for HC and encouraged her to join the Broncos.

"I knew this was it," Robertson said. "It definitely helped knowing someone there."

One of Robertson's strengths is her ability to set and hit from the middle position, a combo not often seen. She said as her hitting skills improved, the move to a 6-2 offense became easier.

Bobcat head coach Danielle Birch doesn't anticipate Robertson will have much of a transition to college ball.

"She's an all-around great athlete and that will take her a long ways. She's willing to do whatever coaches ask of her, so I think it will be pretty smooth."

Birch said she could also see Robertson move to the right side as a blocker.

"Then she could step in and set when needed," Birch said.

Broncos head coach Alex Allard said Robertson's abilities piqued her interest.

"You don't see a lot of setters/middle blockers. They're completely different things, so the fact that she can do both was really impressive," Allard said. "We think she found her home."

The Broncos will graduate three seniors. Allard and her coaching staff will determine which position will be the best fit for Robertson and "give her the most opportunities on the floor."

According to Allard, a smaller school like Hastings offers players a solid experience, both on the court and in the classroom.

"The average professor to student ratio is 1:13. A lot of small-town kids appreciate that one on one, to be able to communicate with professors and feel cared about and valued. The combination of the competitive conference and smaller school makes it appealing to a lot of athletes."

The Broncos play in a tough GPAC conference.

"We've got a lot of top 25 teams in our conference. It's very competitive," she said.

This year, the Broncos finished 15-12 overall and 8-8 in conference play. They advanced to the conference semifinals in tourney play, before being eliminated by Northwestern.

This season's freshman class got a lot of playing time, Allard noted.

"It's getting more and more competitive. The next four years will be phenomenal," she said.

Other recruits joining Robertson are Klarissa Dowdy, Broken Bow and Hanna Skinner, Lawrence-Nelson.

Allard said offers are still out to several international students and junior college transfers.