This was not at all the time frame in which Sydney Wetterstrom expected to make her college decision.
Yet just as she does on the volleyball court whenever she sees even the slightest crease in an opposing defense, Wetterstrom figured it was best to strike quickly while the opportunity was available.
After becoming completely wowed during a recruiting visit earlier this week, the junior from Longmont High School promptly gave a verbal commitment to the University of Michigan while standing in the middle of one of the most historic venues in college athletics — the Wolverine football team’s “Big House.”
“You know how you sometimes have that ‘Ah-ha’ moment? I definitely had that while I was there,” Wetterstrom said. “I was walking down Main Street there and that ‘This is it,’ feeling. They showed me what the new facilities will look like in 2017 and it was awesome. They treat their athletes like royalty and they are really specific to their sport. It was everything I wanted competitively and academically.
“I got the offer on Monday and I went back to the hotel and talked to my family and some friends. On Tuesday they showed me the Big House and I was like ‘Holy Cow.’ It was amazing. I commited in the Big House.”
Just a sophomore last season, Wetterstrom already has played a key role on two Longmont Class 4A state tournament squads, and in 2013 she teamed with since-graduated Becca Mau to give the Trojans one of the top one-two attack tandems in the state. Wetterstrom also ranked a close second on the Trojans’ team with 71 blocks.
Wetterstrom will join a Michigan program that has recorded eight consecutive appearances in the NCAA tournament. Wetterstrom also received interest from Colorado State and at one point was excited for the interest she received from CU, a school her parents and grandparents attended. In the end, however, Michigan simply made Wetterstrom feel more wanted than any other potential suitor.
“I really wanted to look at CU because my whole family went there,” Wetterstrom said. “But I never really felt wanted there, and with Michigan that wasn’t the case at all.”
Also a standout basketball player who earned the BoCoPreps.com 2014 Times-Call Player of the Year honor, Wetterstrom said she was willing to keep her options open but quickly realized volleyball was going to present better opportunities.
She also said committing before her junior year was never part of the plan, but Michigan’s offer simply was too good to refuse.
“I really did want to wait until later, but nothing was going to be better than this,” Wetterstrom said. “The coaches there really try to make it a great atmosphere while keeping it very competitive. I’m very fortunate for how it all worked out.”
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