Jahsita Fa’ali’i is headed for the hills — the Montana hills that is.
The three-year starter for Lathrop High — she came to the Spartans as a sophomore — inked her scholarship to Montana State University in Billings on Friday.
“This is the culmination of years of hard work from Jahsita,” Lathrop coach Heather Anderson said. “She has played volleyball pretty much since she could walk.
“What I think stands out about her beyond her skills is her character. She is a great teammate, incredibly modest and she has been a huge part of our program and obviously we are sad to see her go.”
Fa’ali’i led the Spartans program to new heights with Lathrop going 14-0 in Western Athletic Conference play her senior year.
“We had major growth with her,” Anderson said. “Our first league championship was her senior year and her junior year was our first trip to the playoffs.
“She was a huge part of that and Montana State University is lucky to have her.”
Fa’ali’i was named 2019 WAC most valuable player and was the conference most outstanding player in 2018. She hammered out a whopping 253 kills her senior year with a success rate of 47.9 percent.
“I am a bit overwhelmed but I am excited too,” Fa’ali’i said, “I am excited for the next big chapter in my life. I don’t know what’s going to happen but I am going to make the best of it.
“I am glad I created a family here in the volleyball program and I always have some place to come back to. These people have taught me everything and I can’t let that go.”
The Montana State Yellowjackets are in the NCAA Division II Great Northwest Athletic Conference and finished ninth last year, going 5-15 in conference play and 8-22 overall. Fa’ali’i led the WAC in kills in both her senior and junior years, and the Yellowjackets could use her power, with their best season since 2010 coming in 2014 at 8-10, 13-14.