In October 2023, senior Bella Chen committed to play Division III volleyball at Colorado College in Colorado Springs, Colo. 

Chen is a middle blocker and has been on the varsity girls volleyball team since her sophomore year. She began playing volleyball on her middle school team in 7th grade, and subsequently took up club volleyball in 8th grade. 

However, Chen’s main sport had been basketball until her freshman year, which was interrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Going into her sophomore year, Chen decided to prioritize volleyball over basketball. “In basketball, I just got burnt out,” Chen said. “I love playing [volleyball]; I just feel a lot of happiness whenever I’m playing.”

Chen knew that she wanted to play a sport in college because of the bonds between teammates. “I love team sports. Like, you’re so tight with your team that it’s basically like family,” Chen said.

During the recruiting process, Chen narrowed her search down to three schools. What set Colorado College apart was its coaches. “Colorado College had always been my number one [out of all the colleges that I was talking to]. The coaches are just so sweet, likable and supportive. It’s really important to be able to see yourself being coached by the person on the other end of the phone, and I could see myself being coached by them,” Chen said.

In addition to the coaching staff, Chen loved the environment of Colorado Springs. “I mean, also, Colorado is just so beautiful. And Colorado Springs is […] a safe city. Like it’s pretty big, but it just felt really safe when I was walking around with my family.”