Lydia Christenson picks Defiance for college volleyball

Maumee's Lydia Christenson signed to play volleyball at Defiance College. / Pride of the Panthers

By JEREMY SCHNEIDER

IMA SPORTS

Her final high school volleyball season ended just a few weeks ago, but Maumee’s Lydia Christenson has already determined what’s the next stop in her volleyball career.

Christenson committed to play volleyball at Defiance College. Christenson considered other schools but said Defiance kept coming back as the favorite.

“I really loved Coach Jeremy’s (Thornburg) plans for the program,” Christenson said. “He knew exactly what he wanted coming in and it was very similar to how my club was focused. I knew it would be a great fit for me and I would excel there.

“I think the small class sizes at Defiance will also be of use for me there, I’ll continue to excel in my education and my volleyball career.”

Christenson will study education with a possible specification in science.

Over the last two seasons with the Panthers, Christenson has totaled 327 assists, 197 digs and 60 kills.

The Yellow Jackets made the switch to the NAIA this season, leaving the ranks of NCAA Division III athletic programs. They play in the Wolverine-Hoosier Athletic Conference, which also features Lourdes University in Sylvania.

Last season, Defiance finished 11-23 overall and 5-13 in the conference, a vast improvement over a 4-22 record in 2023.

“They have already tripled the past records of the team and they want to keep that going,” Christenson said. “I know I’ll be setting and I hope to be a force in my coaches plan to win the WHAC.”

Christenson gave credit to her club team, Premier Academy, and the owner, Jodi Schramm, for helping make college volleyball a possibility.

She also thanked her parents for getting her to this point.

“My parents have supported me through literally everything, driving me to tournaments, paying for extra lessons and supporting all of my goals,” Christenson said. “They helped me get into Premier and all that training was what put me where I am today. Especially Coach Schramm, she continues to push me to be better, she knows what level I wanted to play at and she’s put me there. I love the attention they give to all their players, their coaches and their college driven plans.”

Photo courtesy of Pride of the Panthers

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