Surque Plays Last Volleyball Match for CCHS, Looks Toward Academic Future

By Jeff Steers
JTV Sports

(November 14, 2021 8:00 AM) Athletes talk all the time about getting to the next level in their respective sports.

Columbia Central High School volleyball player Bailey Surque is excited about her college future … academically. 

Surque played her last high school volleyball match with a 5-set loss to Monroe St. Mary – the two-time defending state champions – in the Michigan High School Athletic Association Division 3 regional final last Thursday.

But Surque went down swinging … literally. She had four kills down the stretch in game five to bring CCHS within two points of the upset win.

Surque is good enough to play at the college level as she played four season at the varsity level and played club volleyball at the national level for teams in the Toledo area.

But she has set her sights on succeeding off the court in college. 

Surque recently said she will be done playing volleyball after this season to concentrate on college.

That is kind of a bold statement for someone who has played at the varsity level since her freshman year, has nearly 1,200 kills during that time span, and more than 1,400 digs.

Surque shouldn’t have any trouble in college with a 4.119 grade point average and ranks sixth in her class. She wants to study chemical or biomedical engineering and is looking at colleges like Michigan State, Grand Valley and Michigan Tech. 

But the thought of long nights on the volleyball court all coming to an end has Surque feeling emotional.

“It (the season finale) is going to be really sad,” Surque said two weeks ago after the Golden Eagles won a district title. “You have to play every game like it is your last … because it could be.”

Surque said she will have more time to enjoy spending time with her family and enjoying outside activities like hunting and fishing. 

In high school, she spent most of her time playing volleyball – at the high school and national club level. 

“Playing at a national level you see a different speed than high school volleyball,” Surque said. “Girls on my team were one-sport commits.”

Along the way, Surque learned about time management and preparation.

“It was an hour-and-a-half one way so a lot of nights I didn’t get home until 10 p.m.,” Surque said. “I had to pack my own dinner and prepare for a long day.”