Q: What was the recruiting process like that brought you to Hillsdale?
AC: I was playing a few games at the University of Toledo in high school. The coach saw me and she was like “Our slots are full for your class, but I know a coach at Hillsdale and I’d like him to check you out.” She contacted him and he watched me play in Atlanta. He called me after that tournament. He offered me a full ride to Hillsdale, and I got a tour of the school in the Spring. The campus was very beautiful, and I met with a few of the staff here at Hillsdale. They were very warm and welcoming, and I knew that this is where I wanted to go.
Q: What are you studying and what do you intend to do after school?
AC: I am studying exercise science and I’m thinking about going to nursing school after undergrad.
Q: You missed your first season here because of an injury. How difficult was that and what was the recovery process like? What did you learn from not being able to play?
AC: There was built up cartilage post my ACL surgery. I had to get my meniscus scoped. It was very humbling. Basketball always came naturally for me, so I had to actually work to be able to play again through rehab. I saw the team dynamics through the way they played and I got to learn the plays we were running a lot better. I was able to become a better teammate, encouraging those playing, and supporting the team in the best way I knew how.
Q: Who are your role models? Here at Hillsdale or in general, and how have they impacted you and your basketball career and your life in general? Sorry that’s a really loaded question.
AC: Rachel Smith. She was a former basketball player. She graduated and played for a year or two on the team. But she was like a big sister to me, and was very strong in her faith. She helped me with my growth and helped me realize that I’m a student and an athlete and that I am a daughter of Christ.
Q: How has the community on the basketball team encouraged you in your time here at Hillsdale?
AC: The girls are really goofy and caring at the same time. Even though we practice all the time, there’s still joy being with the group of girls. We do fun things outside of basketball, especially like bowling and going to the movies. They’ve also really helped me adjust to the academic life here. My freshman year, if I was struggling in certain classes, they were the ones helping me.
Q: What is the role that basketball has in your life as a whole?
AC: Basketball brought me here to Hillsdale, and so I’m definitely here for a reason. But, I would say basketball is fourth on my list. God is first, then my family, then school, and then basketball. I’m definitely grateful for the gift that was given to me and the opportunity to play basketball. It has helped build me in character and as a person in so many ways.
Q: Do you have any routines or superstitions you follow on game days or during the basketball season? Anything that you do before games?
AC: I shower in the morning and then do my PGP: pre-game poop. And then before every game we pray the Lord’s prayer and then we dance to a song. Every game.