Junior standout Grace Deboodt currently ranks 2nd in the CCC in Kill and 5th in Blocks
EOU's Deboodt Approaches Milestone
Isaac Williams
LA GRANDE, Ore - In March of 2006 a 23 year old Kaki McLean was named interim coach of an Eastern Oregon University volleyball team that had finished in the bottom half the Cascade Conference every season dating back to 1991. One month later McLean inked her first recruit, an athletically gifted, hard worker named Grace Deboodt from Crook County High School.
As the EOU volleyball team continues to soar to new heights, it appears obvious that the two will forever be linked to one another and Mountaineer fans could not be happier.
With Deboodt closing in on the 1,000 Kill milestone, (995) and the Mounties registering their first 20 win season in 28 years, it seems appropriate to look back on how we got to this point.
The two first met when McLean, a 2001 graduate of Crook County High School, was working a camp held at her alma mater. Deboodt was an 8th grade camper and McLean was just home for the summer helping out her former high school coach.
Four years later Deboodt was a highly sought after recruit who had just earned 1st Team All Conference and 2nd Team All-State accolades. McLean was just a year removed from being EOU's marquee player working as an assistant to then Head Coach Amy Spruiell.
Coach Spruiell had already offered the CCHS standout a scholarship and Deboodt accepted. Then when Spruiell bolted town to coach in the Midwest and McLean took over, Deboodt knew it would be an easy transition. "I knew I will still going to EOU, It just fit my personality. Coming from a small town I new I could fit in."
Since the two already had a relationship Grace felt even more comfortable about her decision, "I knew her (McLean) because she was always around helping out with practice and stuff. But back then I was intimidated by her because she was such a good player."
Once the two Central Oregon natives joined forces it was clear that EOU volleyball was on the rise. Each year McLean added more talent to surround Deboodt and each year Deboodt and the Mountaineer volleyball team responded with more wins.
The third year head coach had this to say about her standout player, "She has what every coach wants in a player. She is an amazing athlete that can run and jump with the best of them, but more importantly she is a fiercely competitive person that hates to lose." McLean went on to add, "Grace is a very good leader who has great players around her."
In her three seasons at Eastern, Deboodt has more Kills than any other player in the Cascade Conference over the same time period. The 995 Kills puts her just five away from the 1,000 plateau.
The 2007 Honorable Mention All-American will have at least one chance at reaching that mark as the Mounties have advanced to the CCC Tournament semi-finals held in Caldwell, Idaho. Friday, November 14 Eastern will face I-84 rival The College of Idaho for the right to play in the CCC Tournament Championship Match.