Despite missing the entirety of her junior season, Pike Liberal Arts incoming senior Cara Rushing was selected to play in this summer’s AHSAA North-South All-Star Volleyball Game.

As a sophomore, Rushing earned All-Messenger and Messenger Player of the Year honors after tallying 124 kills, 35 aces and 64 digs for the Lady Patriots. Heading into her junior campaign, Rushing suffered a season-ending knee injury. 

“It’s had its ups and downs,” Rushing said of her injury rehab. “I’m just trying to stay consistent and just keep working hard and getting my quad strength back, that’s the main thing. I’m just trying to get that strength back as fast as I can.” 

Rushing said that there were times that she thought she may not play volleyball again but the All-Star nod has shown her that her hard work is paying off.

“I was definitely surprised,” Rushing said with a smile about being selected to the All-Star Game. “After my injury I wasn’t sure if I wanted to keep playing at all, just because I felt like as a player I may not be able to play the same or that it would be different because of my body. Since I got this (recognition) just based off my sophomore season, not playing the entire year as a junior, that’s a good sign that all of my hard work hasn’t gone to waste.” 

Along with her rehab and play under Pike Lib coaches, Rushing said that training with Capital City Juniors Volleyball Club in Montgomery and Deep South Volleyball in Enterprise has also helped her. Deep South Volleyball is led by former Troy Trojan Janie Wiggins, who coaches at LBW now. 

“I really feel like working with Deep South and CCJ coaches has helped me so much,” Rushing said. “I made so many friends there and I’ll be playing with some of my teammates from CCJ and Deep South in the All-Star game, too.” 

Rushing said that heading into her senior season she’s setting her sights on earning a volleyball scholarship for college and making sure that she’s concentrating on improving each day.

“I just want to keep actively working to get better and not being too hard on myself,” she emphasized. “What I would focus on in the past is just how I was playing but my goal now is to focus more on taking one step forward every practice and every game and actively working to improve each day.” 

Rushing will play for Team South in the North-South All-Star Game in July in Montgomery.