Photo by Sam Thiel Marshall’s Keziah Knudson poses for a photo with her family after signing her National Letter of Intent on Monday to play volleyball at Northwestern College.

MARSHALL — Keziah Knudson wasn’t planning to play a sport in college, but one trip to Northwestern College in Orange City, Iowa a couple of months ago changed all of that.

“I went on the overnight visit to Northwestern in January and when I got back home the [volleyball] coach [Kyle Van Den Bosch] emailed me and said, ‘Hey why didn’t you come visit me? I would love to talk to you and get to know more about you,'” Knudson said. “A couple of weeks later I went to a small tryout and he told me I would be a good asset to the team and everything fell into place. It was just really fun and I got to meet some of the girls and I just felt like the community there is super strong.”

On Monday morning, the Marshall senior made it official when she signed her National Letter of Intent to play volleyball for the Red Raiders.

Knudson said it was a great feeling to have this day come and is excited for the next chapter.

“I think it’s just amazing,” Knudson said. “I wasn’t planning on going anywhere, but God just had everything fall into place and I’m really looking forward to going to Northwestern next year.”

Knudson was a key contributor for the Tigers on the court, helping lead Marshall to state tournament appearances in volleyball and girls basketball. She attributed that success to coach Dan Westby, who was her coach in both sports and what he’s been able to accomplish.

“I just would like to thank Mr. Westby, he’s a great leader and role model and I just want to say that it’s amazing that six of us seven seniors are signing somewhere for any sport so that’s just a testament to him and his program,” Knudson said. “For me, to only be a starter my senior year and still be able to play somewhere is really just a testament to what he does not only in volleyball but in basketball and all of the other areas as well.”

She added her teammates also have played a big impact on her and is grateful for their support.

“My teammates are amazing,” Knudson said. “They’ve encouraged me, they are so happy for me that I’m doing this and I just love and thank them for always supporting me and being there for me.”

Next year, Knudson will join a Northwestern team that is coming off a 32-2 season and a trip to the NAIA national tournament, where the Red Raiders reached the quarterfinals.

Knudson said she’s looking forward to being a part of a tight-knit group and community as well as beginning her major in biochemistry, where she plans to be an optometrist.

“Just being a part of a team and a community again, that’s just something I’ve always loved and enjoyed, so being able to go into college with a team and girls that have my best interests is something that I look forward to,” Knudson said. “Northwestern also has a very good academic science program, so being able to expand my knowledge of what I love is something I’m looking forward to as well.”