This is one of a series of stories about Northern Kentucky athletes competing for the University of Kentucky.
By Kindsey Bernhard
NKyTribune Intern
Harper Hempel finished her final year of volleyball at Ryle High School ranked by MaxPreps as the fourth best prospect in the state and the 67th prospect nationally.
Her high school record reports she was a starter all four years and three times was an all-state selection by the Kentucky Volleyball Coaches Association. She was chosen the district’s most valuable player during her senior year, won the team leadership award and was twice named the winner of the Raider Award, which recognizes the top overall on and off the court performance for that season.
Harper Hempel
As a senior, Hempel led Ryle to its best season during her time as a Raider. The Raiders finished the 2013-14 season with a 35-5 record. She finished with 82 kills and 73 aces.
Despite that portfolio of success, Hempel, who began playing volleyball in the fourth grade, decided during her senior year at Ryle she was burned out and finished playing volleyball.
The Union native decided to focus on academics while staying close to home. She enrolled at the University of Kentucky. After her first semester in Lexington, she knew she had made a mistake.
Hempel realized that she wasn’t done with volleyball just yet. After talking with her parents, she contacted UK head volleyball coach Craig Skinner.
Hempel emailed Skinner and inquired about walking on to the team. “It was a long shot, but I really wanted to try out,” Hempel said. “I told him how much I missed it and how hard I would work to earn a spot.”
“She got a hold of me in January and said ‘I really miss volleyball, I love the game and is there any chance of me walking on to the team’,” Skinner said.
Skinner and his assistant coaches agreed to give her an individual tryout. The UK coaches had known of Hempel because they had contacted her in high school about walking on the team her freshman year.
“He said he made it (the tryout) as hard as he could on me to make sure I knew I wanted it,” Hempel said.
Hempel went into the workout with confidence because she knew this would be a great opportunity for her to play at a Division I volleyball program. After the first individual workout, the coaches agreed to bring her back for more workouts. After a few weeks Hempel was offered a walk-on position.
“I’d say that was one of my greatest accomplishments in my life,” Hempel said on earning a walk-on invitation from the Kentucky coaches.
Sophom*ore setter Olivia Dailey said Hempel was brave to contact the UK coaches and ask for a spot on the team.
“I think it’s something I could never do,” Dailey said. “Knowing her now and the work ethic she has, knowing how nice she is and how great of a teammate she is, it doesn’t surprise me she did this.”
Hempel’s dream to be a UK volleyball player came true during UK’s spring game, an unofficial scrimmage during the spring semester where fans can watch the team play.
“Putting on the Kentucky jersey was so surreal,” Hempel said.
Hempel joined the team as a defensive specialist/setter during the 2015 season. She played in in 13 matches and 27 total sets. As a junior Hempel played in 17 matches, 30 total sets.
Hempel does not receive a lot of playing time but works as the setter for the scout team when the team prepares for matches.
“She’s a giver,” Skinner said. “She’s a mature kid who understands, you know, life is a lot bigger than myself. She has taken on any role that we’ve asked her to.
“When you asked her to do something, she just nods her head and she does it,” Skinner said.
Dailey joined the volleyball team at the same time as Hempel, and they bonded. Dailey said she was terrified thinking she was going to be the only new player on the team, and it was helpful going through the experience with Hempel.
Dailey said you don’t have to hear Hempel is someone you know you can rely on.
“I think when it comes to Harper, I think she is someone we can all depend on,” Dailey said. “In a game, we know we can depend on her, and we know she can always come through.”
Harper will be a senior this fall, her final year of volleyball. In her third season at UK, she won’t have the four years of experience like most college athletes. However, her teammates still look to her for leadership
.
“I don’t think they even think about how long they’ve been in the program,” Skinner said of Harper’s two years of experience. “They earn respect, and Harper has earned respect.”
“I think she is more on the quiet side, but she definitely leads by example,” Daily said. “You don’t hear her say a lot, but you can watch her and know she’ll being working the hardest.”
The University of Washington knocked Kentucky out of the NCAA Tournament in the second round last fall. Kentucky finished the season with a 23-8 record and second in the Southeastern Conference at 15-3.
For her final season as a Wildcat, Hempel wants to do as much as possible to help her team make it further in the tournament.
“I think this year the team will be very good, so I just want to help the team out as much as I can,” Hempel said.
Hempel will be graduating in May 2018 and plans to pursue her master’s degree somewhere other than UK. Hempel is a marketing major with a minor in digital media.
Hempel said she doesn’t know what she wants to do with her degree. She started her own photography business during her senior year of high school and plans to use her degree to grow her business.
But for one more volleyball season, Hempel will be wearing Kentucky’s blue and white. She had dreamed about playing at UK since she started coming to the program’s volleyball camps when she was younger.
“Just actually living that dream is crazy to me,” Hempel said. “Sometimes I don’t think this it is real.”
Kindsey Bernhard is a journalism senior at the University of Kentucky. She is from Ft. Wright and played high school basketball at Notre Dame Academy.
