Photo: Northpoint Christian’s Quinn Thurman makes official her commitment to play volleyball at Spring Hill College next fall. (Bob Bakken/desotocountynews.com)
April 22, 2025 – She’s a state championship MVP, an All-Stater, among the best players in the metro area, and Monday officially became a college athlete. But for Northpoint Christian volleyball outside hitter Quinn Thurman the college part almost never happened.
Thurman, part of last fall’s TSSAA Division II-A state championship team, Tuesday signed to play at NCAA Division II Spring Hill College in Mobile, Alabama. There, she will play court volleyball but also will play on the beach volleyball team, while studying as a political science major.
As good as Thurman is on the volleyball court, she is also dedicated to her studies, initially driven to work toward a law degree. It was that dedication that initially had her feeling her last high school volleyball game at the TSSAA Division II-A state tournament last fall would be her last game.
It was during the championship run in Murfreesboro that Quinn realized she needed to start looking for a college volleyball home, becoming aware that there was more competitive volleyball for her to give.
Quinn Thurman, who Tuesday signed to play volleyball at Spring Hill College.
“She came and told me, ‘I’m not ready for this to be over,’” said Northpoint coach Kim Robinson.
Quinn Thurman’s search for a college volleyball home started very late in the process but she benefited with a connection her mother had with another DeSoto County volleyball coach, Amy Hendrichovsky of Lewisburg.
“She (Hendrichovsky) reached out to them (Spring Hill College) because she used to coach at South Alabama and they’re both in the Mobile, Alabama area,” Thurman said. “She’s been amazing in the recruiting process and even she said, ‘I think this would be a great fit for Quinn.’”
At Spring Hill, Quinn will play both court and beach volleyball, leveraging her experience as an outside hitter. Academically, Quinn said her major will be political science.
Thurman said her first visit there was breathtaking and seeing the campus was love at first sight.
“It’s by the coast and I got to practice with the team the first time I went down and visited,” Thurman said. “You could just tell there was a sense of family, like I have found here at Northpoint. I went back a second time and knew this was a place for me.”
Statistically, Quinn and her twin sister Hassie Claire leave a mark on the record books that may take a while to equal. Robinson said Tuesday that Quinn is Northpoint’s all-time record holder in kills and aces and was the first player to reach 1,000 kills and 1,000 digs in a career. Hassie Claire passed her in digs and leaves with that career mark.
A Division II-A all-stater with the Tennessee Sports Writers Association this season with her twin sister Hassie Claire, the Thurman twins have played every set of their high school careers from their first day on the court as a freshman. Quinn was named the MVP of the Lady Trojans’ state volleyball championship victory over Battle Ground Academy in three sets.
Quinn Thurman with her many awards, including the TSSAA Division II-A state championship trophy from last fall’s state title and her award as the championship game’s most valuable player.
It was in that match Robinson said Quinn took control of the situation with a two-set advantage in a timeout to lead the Lady Trojans to the three-set victory.
“I see Quinn over there talking to the team,” Robinson said. “She is a leader but in that moment she was leading the team to say, ‘Guys, if we want it, we have to go get it. It’s time to close it out.’”
This past season, Spring Hill College finished with a 24-8 record on the court, reaching the NCAA South Regional quarterfinals. Playing in the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference, the Badgers were unbeaten at 19-0. Dr. Peggy Martin leads the volleyball program and has been there since 2009.
Spring Hill College is Alabama’s oldest institution of higher learning, founded in 1830 by Michael Portier, Mobile’s first Catholic bishop. Spring Hill is also the first Catholic college in the Southeast, the third oldest Jesuit college, and the fifth oldest Catholic college in the United States.
NORTHPOINT BASEBALL SPLITS SERIES AFTER LAUSANNE WIN
No outright district championship was won by the Northpoint Christian School baseball Trojans Tuesday night, but it appears Northpoint may benefit from tiebreakers for the number one postseason seed from the district.
A run in the seventh broke up a 4-4 deadlock for Lausanne Collegiate to come away with a 5-4 victory at Northpoint. It was the second of a two-game series between the district rivals, with the Trojans winning 3-1 Monday night at Gagliano Field in Memphis. A Northpoint win Tuesday would have earned them the district’s number one seed outright, but the Lausanne win puts four teams into a standings gridlock. The seedings from the district for the postseason West Region tournament will shortly be determined depending on run differentials and tiebreakers.
Tuesday night, Lausanne opened the game with a three-run first inning, but a two-run home run to center field from Isaiah Nolan got the Trojans within 3-2 after one.
The Lynx took a 4-2 lead in the second, but Northpoint answered with a run of their own to stay within one at 4-3 after two innings, when Harrison Brown scored on a passed ball.
The Trojans tied the game at 4-4 in the third after Vail Perkins scored from third on another passed ball. That’s where the score stood until the Lausanne seventh.
A bunt with runners on scored a run with a wild throw to first. However, another bunt attempt resulted in a pop up caught by catcher Landon Lay, who then doubled up the runner at third to end the inning.
SCOREBOARD
Tuesday, April 22
Prep baseball playoffs
MAIS North 5AAAAA Playoffs – first round (best of three)
Magnolia Heights 7, Wayne Academy 2 (Magnolia Heights leads 1-0)
