Blanton signs volleyball scholarship with Blue Mountain College

DOUBLE SPRINGS - Saige Blanton is a prime example of how hard work and dedication brings you success in achieving your goals.
The Winston County High School senior signed a volleyball scholarship with Blue Mountain College Wednesday, Feb. 27. BMC is a private institution located in northeast Mississippi, not far from Tupelo.
The signing ceremony was held in the library of the high school, in Double Springs with family, administrators, teammates, coaches and friends in attendance.
Blanton will be a member of the first volleyball team at Blue Mountain this fall.
Reid Gann, BMC head volleyball coach, commented, “We’re very happy to sign a player of Saige’s caliber. With this being our first recruiting class, I had to hit the ground running in order to get players like her. I believe she’ll have a good impact for us in our first season, and we’re looking forward to it.”
Blanton said, “I want to thank everyone for being here today. I  give God all the glory for giving me the ability to play ball and continue to the next level. I want to thank my parents and my family and my coaches and my teammates for all the support that has brought me here.
“I can’t say enough about my parents. They have always pushed me to be my very best and supported me in doing that.
“This is the first year Blue Mountain will have volleyball. I am very excited to be part of that team. I want to thank Coach Reid Gann for giving me the opportunity to play.”
WCHS Principal Jeff Cole said about Blanton, “Saige is a special person. She has always been like a daughter to me and I am very proud of her. This day didn’t just happen today. It has been in progress for about 10 years. She has put so much in to today.
“If she has an impact for Blue Mountain like she has for us, it will be not good, it will be great and a big impact. A day like today is why we do this.”
Her high school volleyball coach Tiffany Cole had this to say about Blanton, “Saige is one of those players who doesn’t come around very often. She obviously works hard or she wouldn’t be here or we, as a team, wouldn’t be where we are today in volleyball. She also works hard in everything that she does - every other sports, all of her academics. The one thing that stands out is the values she has. She does everything to glorify God. That makes her truly special. I am very honored that I got the opportunity to coach her four years and be a small part in what I know she is going to accomplish in her career. I am really excited to see where it takes her.”
Blanton has excelled in many area including academics, with a 4.0 grade point average and ranked eighth in her class.
Volleyball honors include: All County 2015-18; All Area 2015; All Area MVP 2017; First Metro Bank Invitational Champions 2015; First Metro Bank Invitational Runnerup 2018; County Tournament Runnerup 2016; County Tournament Champions 2018; All County MVP 2018; Area Champions 2015-17; Area Runnerup 2018; Regional champions 2016-17;  1st Team All-State Volleyball 2018; 1,000 kills in volleyball; Final Four 2016-18; State Runnerup 2016 and 2018; All State Tournament Team 2016 and 2018; Northwest Alabama All-Star Tournament Team 2015-18; Eagle Elite Team 2016-17; Northwest Alabamian All Star team.
Basketball: Broke WCHS points record; County Champions 2016, 2018-19; All Area 2015-16; All County 2016-19; All County MVP 2017; Area Runnerup 2018; Subregional 2016-18; 1,000 points in basketball.
Softball: County runnerup 2017; Regional tournament 2017.
Some of her other honors include: 2018 homecoming queen, Miss Winston County High School 2nd alternate 2018 and the school’s Citizenship award her junior years.
Blanton was named Most Athletic by her peers this year and Best All-Around by the teaching staff.
Blanton plans to major in pre-med at BMC.