Photos by Ray Hamill/HumboldtSports.com

By Ray Hamill — Nora Brumbaugh is not ready to give up on her volleyball career just yet.

On Tuesday evening, the Arcata standout senior signed her letter of intent to play at Sierra College after graduation this month, and she’s going to play for a couple of different teams there.

Not only will Brumbaugh continue what has been an impressive and successful career on the indoor courts, but she will also play beach volleyball for the first time, a challenge she appears to be excited about.

The Tigers senior certainly has left her mark in the H-DNL.

In her three varsity seasons playing for head coach Laurie Griffith at Arcata, Brumbaugh played a key role in three top-two finishes in league, including the Tigers’ march to a Big 5 championship in her junior season.

She was included as an all-league honorable mention as a junior and an all-league selection as a senior.

But that’s not what she’ll remember the most from her time on the high school courts.

“I will remember coach Griff the most, and all the relationships I’ve built here,” she said. “And especially the wins.”

Brumbaugh signed her letter of intent in front of a gathering of family, friends, teammates and coaches at Arcata High, and expressed her appreciation to everyone who showed up.

“I really love all the people that came here and supported me,” she said. “I think that was amazing.”

Griffith spoke to the gathering and explained why she believes Brumbaugh will succeed at the next level.

“Everybody here at Arcata High, me and the team, are super excited and proud of her,” Griffith said. “There aren’t very many athletes from the volleyball team that end up going and playing outside of Humboldt County, so it’s a really special day when one chooses to take that on, and I think that Nora is really up to that choice.

“She’s going to do really well in college because she really excelled in high school.”

The Arcata coach also appreciated the leadership Brumbaugh showed as a senior, an aspect of her game that she believes will help her on the college courts.

“She was also a leader on the court, especially her senior year, really stepped up,” Griffith said. “And I just felt a little shift in Nora … she was really like ‘I’m taking this serious, I’m leading, I want to win, I’m striving for my best, I’m gonna help my teammates be the best they can be.’”

For Brumbaugh, the decision to choose to play for the Wolverines was an easy one once she visited the area.

“I really loved the campus and I met the coach and she was amazing, and I really want to take it to the next level and I think that’s the next level,” she said.

Brumbaugh, who is still undecided on what major she will pursue, is eager to keep playing the sport she loves for as long as she can.

Photos by Ray Hamill/Humb oldtSports.com

She says she would like to play at a four-year program after her time at Sierra.

“I haven’t thought about it that much, but it’s definitely the dream if I can get there,” she said.

Brumbaugh also spoke to the gathering on Tuesday and expressed her gratitude to everyone who has helped her on her volleyball journey.

“Your love and encouragement means so much to me and I’m very lucky to have such an amazing support group,” she said. “All of you guys are so amazing and I’m very excited to see what’s ahead.”

Brumbaugh is the third Tigers senior to commit to play for the Rocklin community college this year, following in the footsteps of sisters Mae and Tae Wolford, who committed to play basketball for the Wolverines in April.

She joins a Sierra volleyball team that competes in the competitive Big 8 conference and was 7-8 in league play last year and 11-18 overall.