Brittany Eppright, following in the footsteps of her coach, Karla Gaines, and former volleyball standout Lacey Gaines, signed a letter on intent Monday afternoon to continue her academic and volleyball career at Evangel University.
Eppright, a two-year varsity co-caption for Karla Gaines at College Heights Christian School, helped lead the Lady Cougars to a Class 2 District 11 championship before falling to Ash Grove in the sectional round.
“Brittany is a hard worker and a strong athlete,” said Karla Gaines, who also attended Evangel. “Brittany knows the game, plus she played several years of USA (club) Volleyball in the offseason.”
An outside hitter, Eppright, a two-time all-district selection and all-region selection, could vie for a starting spot next season for Mary Whitehead, now in her 10th season with the Crusaders.
“The transition from high school to college is difficult, but she is a step ahead of most high school players,” Whitehead said, who coached Karla Gaines’ daughter, Lacey, for the past four years. “Lacey had a great career for us, and Brittany reminds me a lot of Lacey.”
Eppright, who plans to work toward a degree in pre-physical therapy with the intent to be a physical therapist, said she considered Missouri State University, but opted to attend Evangel so she could also continue her athletic career.
“Evangel offered the best opportunity for me,” Eppright explained, “both academically and athletically. I considered (Missouri State) for educational purposes. I plan to finish up my education at MSU.”
The Lady Crusaders, who compete in the Heart of America Athletic Conference, completed their sixth straight winning season under Whitehead in 2008, finishing with a 23-14 record. In that six-year span, Evangel has compiled a 136-82 mark.
Eppright, who had the opportunity to workout with the Lady Crusaders over the summer, said choosing Evangel was an easy decision.
“I am very happy to sign with Evangel,” she said. “The other girls made everything very easy and relaxing, which made it easier to impress the coaches.”
Eppright, a Webb City native, is the daughter of William and Patricia Eppright.
