QUINCY – Quincy graduate Alyssa McCavit did not think much about playing basketball in college. The multi-sport athlete had decided not long ago to head to Kellogg Community College (KCC) to pursue her major of Early Childhood Education with the intent on someday becoming a daycare provider.
With her focus on school, it came as a little bit of surprise for McCavit when the Bruin coaching staff reached out and expressed interest in her playing basketball.
You see, a little over 7% of high school athletes get the opportunity to play a varsity sport at the college level. That means 1 in every 13 students take the next step in playing their chosen sport, moving on to the college ranks so, for McCavit, it was a no brainer.
“They actually reached out to me and asked me to play basketball for the team,” McCavit said. “I just planned on going there to focus on school, but when they mentioned basketball, I jumped at it.”
McCavit is the true definition of a mult-sport athlete, earning varsity letters in volleyball, basketball, and softball. Not only did McCavit earn varsity letters in each sport, but she also earned Big 8 All Conference honors in all three sports, being named to the Big 8 All Conference First Team in both basketball and softball while earning Honorable Mention honors in volleyball.
During basketball season McCavit was a machine on the parquet floors of Quincy High School, regularly dominating in the paint each night out. McCavit finished the season averaging 10.2 points, 8.1 rebounds, 1.5 assists and 1.4 steals a game for the Orioles. As a three-year varsity player for Quincy, McCavit finished with an average of 7.3 points and 7.2 rebounds a game.
During her senior season McCavit recorded four double-doubles and notched double-digit rebounds in seven of 18 games played. McCavit’s best outing of the season came in a tough 56-40 loss to Reading on Jan. 5 when she scored 18 points and pulled down 11 rebounds. McCavit’s highest point total of the season came twice, once in a 61-33 win over Union City and the other in a 52-34 win over Athens when she poured in 19 points. McCavit’s highest rebounding total came in an early season loss to Stockbridge when she pulled down 14 rebounds.
Even with her success throughout high school in a variety of sports, McCavit still knows there will be some challenges going forward as she transitions to the college ranks.
“I think the pace of the game will be a big adjustment for me,” McCavit said. “There is so much to learn in college so the pace and knowing where to be at all times may be my toughest adjustment.”
Even though McCavit did not plan on playing basketball in college she realized midway through her senior campaign she had the ability to do so.
“At about the midpoint of the season, when I was averaging close to a double-double, I thought that playing in college was a possibility,” McCavit said. “I thought about possibly playing volleyball at KCC as well, but I decided just to focus on one sport.”
For the KCC coaching staff that could be a very big blessing, as the multi-sport athlete from Quincy has a good deal of determination and the sheer will needed to succeed at the college level. As McCavit herself said, “There are no breaks.”
Name: Alyssa McCavit
School: Quincy High School
College: Kellogg Community College (KCC)
Sport: Basketball
Major: Early Childhood Education
Favorite Food: Steak
Favorite Dessert: Chocolate Ice Cream
Favorite Movie: Benchwarmers
Favorite TV Show: ICarly
Favorite Book: Colleen Hoover books
Hobbies: Hanging out with her family, spending time with her niece, and while living on a small farm she loves to hang out with her animals.
Fondest Memory: “My best memory is seeing how many Quincy fans were at our district finals games for both volleyball and basketball. Seeing all that support that we had was amazing.”
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