Submitted photo – McKenna Curtis recently signed a letter of commitment to play volleyball for Feather River College.

By Ray Hamill — Two-time Big 5 volleyball MVP McKenna Curtis is taking her talents to one of the best community college programs in the state after recently signing a letter of commitment to play for Feather River.

The multi-sport star has enjoyed an outstanding career with the Warriors and is hoping to help Del Norte win a second straight conference championship in softball this spring.

But ever since her mother and coach Meagan Curtis began taking her to games as a young kid, volleyball has always been her favorite sport.

Now she will get the chance to play for a powerhouse Feather River team that made it all the way to the state championship game last fall and a program that is known for sending numerous players on to the Division-1 collegiate level.

And for Curtis, who had plenty of college options, joining Feather River was an easy decision after her high school coaches Debbie Lorenzi and Petra Lorenzi told her about the program and how it might be a good fit for her.

“I thought JC was the best for my skill level,” Curtis said. “So I emailed the coach (at Feather River) last year and we kept in contact.

“And once I got to visit the school and meet the coaches and players, I knew it was the place for me. It definitely felt like this is where I belong.”

One of the big things that attracted Curtis to Feather River was the style of head coach Sarah Ritchie, who has built a perennial powerhouse at the Quincy college and enjoyed tremendous success for the past decade and a half.

“It’s a similar coaching style to what I’m used to,” the Del Norte senior said. “They’re no nonsense and very competitive and I know that’s where I thrive as an athlete. I don’t mess around.”

Curtis certainly has left her mark at Del Norte High and led the Warriors to back-to-back undefeated Big 5 championships on the volleyball court in each of the past two seasons.

She was named conference MVP in 2022 and co-MVP along with teammate Lili Nunez in 2023.

Curtis in action for the Warriors during the fall.

But more than the success, Curtis says she will always remember her teammates the most from her time in high school.

“I’m going to remember the team,” she said. “We worked so hard over the last couple of years to really build a strong core team environment, and I think that’s the reason we were so successful.

“We were so tight knit with each other and I think that’s what separated us from the rest of the league. We all had the same goal and we were all there for the same reason, and I think that’s something very special to me.

“And I think our coaches did a really good job enforcing that and showed us what a team could do with that.”

That’s an outlook and attitude that should benefit Curtis at the next level and help pave the way for her to succeed.

Her high school head coach and mother Meagan Curtis said of McKenna after she was named co-MVP of the Big 5 last fall that she “led our offense and was unstoppable throughout league play,” while adding that the team could depend on her to perform in every match.

Submitted photo – McKenna Curtis and her family at last month’s letter signing ceremony.

As for what role she will play at Feather River, McKenna is open to whatever her team needs and just glad to have the opportunity.

“I think they’re looking at me as a defensive specialist or libero,” she said. “That’s what the coaches told me. But I think it will come down to who shows up (in the summer). I’m willing to go wherever they want me.”

The Del Norte senior is naturally excited about this next chapter in her life and feels Quincy will be a good fit for her.

“The school is the first thing you see when you drive into Quincy,” she said, before adding with a chuckle, “It’s a small town, smaller than Crescent City.

“The school itself is really nice, not too big, and it kind of reminds me of home. It’s kind of like a really cool small town vibe.”

McKenna has known for a while she wanted to play volleyball in college and took last spring away from the Del Norte softball team to focus on travel volleyball in order to better prepare her for the collegiate game.

She spent much of the early part of 2023 playing for The Rise National 18U team out of Medford, one of the most respected travel team programs on the West Coast.

It was an experience she embraced and one she felt really helped develop her game and prepare her for the next level.

This spring, however, she’s back with the Del Norte softball team, which is considered one of the favorites to win a second straight Big 5 title.

“It’s pretty good,” she said of being back with the team. “This is my last year and I’m going to go and have fun and work as hard as I can.”

The multi-sport standout is considering majoring in kinesiology and wants to play for a four-year program after her time at Feather River, a school well known for sending its players on to the Division-I level with scholarship offers.

“That is my goal,” she said. “I’m not sure where I want to go (yet). I’m kind of open to wherever the scholarship offers take me.

“If I go through the program and work as hard as I can, I know that could be the outcome for me. That’s the level I’m aiming for.”

Wherever her journey takes her, McKenna will always have a soft spot for Del Norte High and an appreciation for how the school helped prepare her.

“I just want to say go Warriors!,” she said. “I’m excited to see how the girls do next year. I think we’ve got a good group of seniors to carry on the success and I’ll be keeping tabs on them.”