UK Volleyball commit Cameron Scheitzach has always been a Wildcat

UK commit Cameron Scheitzach sets the ball during a match for Bishop Moore High School — Photo courtesy of David N. Jester

Coach Craig Skinner has made a habit of bringing in the top recruiting classes in the nation each year and that trend continues with the Class of 2018. Through Go Big Blue Country, fans have been introduced to Lauren Tharp and Alli Stumler, two commitments to the Wildcats 2018 class, and now will be introduced to their future teammate, Cameron Scheitzach.

Scheitzach, a 5-8 setter from Orlando, FL., announced her commitment to Kentucky in July of 2016 via her Twitter account and the Wildcats have always been near the top of the list.

“I committed to UK the summer of 2016,” said Scheitzach. “I had just completed a camp there and fell in love with the campus, the coaches, players, and Lexington — Kentucky has always been one of my top schools that I fell in love with.”

The UK commit is a member of the Bishop Moore High School volleyball team in Orlando, a powerhouse program in the state of Florida that has won a total of six state championships, including four in the last five years. Through her first three seasons at Bishop Moore, Scheitzach has helped lead the Hornets to state titles in 2015 and 2016.

Despite being from Florida, Scheitzach has a connection to the University of Kentucky and the University of Louisville. Her mother graduated from Kentucky and her father from Louisville, so she already understands the rivalry between the two in state colleges separated by roughly 79 miles. Despite connections to both universities, Scheitzach knew Kentucky was the choice for her.

“I knew Kentucky was the place for me when I first stepped on campus because I felt at home and welcomed into a family,” said Scheitzach. “I feel like I have been a Wildcat all my life — My mom graduated from UK and my dad graduated from UofL, so we always had a fun rivalry growing up when UK plays UofL.”

I recently spoke with Coach Craig Skinner following a season opening win vs. Arkansas State and he mentioned that the best thing about the current freshman class is that they were all winners in high school. The same can be said of the 2018 class, especially Scheitzach, who not only has two state titles, but also owns two international championships and a national championship in club.

For the past three summers she has represented the Florida region as a member of the Team Florida Indoor HP All-Stars in the High Performance Championship, where she led the team to a fourth place finish in 2015 and International Youth Championships in 2016 and 2017. Team Florida competed against international teams such as Australia, Dominican, and New Zealand, while national teams included Hawaii, Iowa, and New York.

UK commit Cameron Scheitzach (14), sets the ball for a teammate during action for Bishop Moore High School — Photo courtesy of David N. Jester

Entering her final season for the Hornets, Scheitzach is aiming to bring a third state championship to Bishop Moore during her career. The Hornets began the year ranked No. 1 in the nation, but following the decision of three key players to sit out their senior seasons, Bishop Moore fell to No. 10 in the preseason rankings. Despite key departures, the Hornets will compete for a state title this season and the play of Scheitzach will be a big reason, who not only understands her strengths on the court, but also her weaknesses.

“I consider one of my most important strengths to being versatile on the court,” said Scheitzach. “My passion is setting, but I’ll play any position to help the team.”

The UK commit knows that she hasn’t been alone in her journey to Kentucky and as a result, she knows she has a number of people to thank for helping her fall in love with volleyball.

“I have so much love for the game and I credit that to my coaches and family,” said Scheitzach. “I’ve absolutely had the best coaches — they’ve invested so much in me. My family is super sports-oriented and we have always valued what sports does for athletes, whether it is strengthening character, building bonds, or inspiring leadership.”

Like so many others around the program, Scheitzach notices the growth of the Kentucky program and the talent that exists on the 2017 team. The Wildcats could be in for one of the best seasons in program history and the future Wildcat doesn’t shy away from that prediction.

“I’m looking forward to watching as much Kentucky volleyball as possible this year — I try watching them every chance I get when the games are televised,” said Scheitzach. “The Kentucky program is beyond outstanding — I think Kentucky is poised to have a record-setting year.”

The Wildcats are certainly prepared for an outstanding season, but with the addition of the 2018 class next fall, the future remains bright for the program that continues to be one of the best in the country. Scheitzach is ready to take the court for the Wildcats and she already has a goal in mind.

“Fans can expect high energy and a lot of heart from me,” said Scheitzach. “My goal is to work hard every year to make a difference to the team — I can’t wait to play for the BBN.”