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    • Smithsburg volleyball player Chloe Fisher verbally commits to Lehigh
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    Smithsburg volleyball player Chloe Fisher verbally commits to Lehigh

    Vaseline Posted on

    Smithsburg senior Chloe Fisher is one of Washington County’s top volleyball players. She was named first-team all-county twice and has been a starter for the Leopards since her freshman season in 2021.

    Choosing a study was inevitable, right?

    “For a long time, I wasn’t even sure if I wanted to play in college,” Fisher said. “I thought, ‘If it happens, it happens,’ but I’m not going to worry about it too much. It wasn’t stressful because I had the best support crew, especially my mom and grandparents.”

    Fisher, who plans to major in International Relations with a minor in Economics or Spanish, was more concerned with finding the right academic fit for her future. Athletics was secondary.

    Enter Lehigh University in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania.

    “I walked on campus and I felt right at home. I love the old architecture and I could see myself there,” said Fisher, who made his verbal commitment to the Division I Mountain Hawks last week. “People always say you just get a feeling, and that’s how I made my decision. It just felt so welcoming and positive, which is something I didn’t get at other camps and with other coaches. All the girls were so nice and seemed like they were having so much fun, and it was clear that I wanted to be a part of that.

    “This opportunity came to me and I am extremely grateful for it.”

    Caydence Doolan: North Hagerstown volleyball player verbally commits to Marquette

    Volleyball: “Something the cool girls did”

    Fisher remembers starting volleyball at age 6 or 7. “I started at the YMCA and at HCC,” she said. “I had some friends who were also starting volleyball. I remember the older girls playing at Smithsburg and I just thought, ‘Wow, that looks really cool and that’s something I want to do.’ It was something the cool girls were doing, and I thought I should give it a shot.”

    A few years later, with the encouragement of former North Hagerstown star Brynne Kirsch, Fisher became involved with the Liberty Elite club program. As an 11U player, she unknowingly chose a position that would stay with her.

    “At that age, they don’t really pick positions based on skill or merit, it’s just what you want to do,” Fisher said. “Nobody was going to the setter line, so I thought, ‘You know what? I’ll do it!’ A coach never pointed me in that direction, I just went there because we needed one.”

    Setting – comparable to the work of a quarterback in American football – turned out to be a perfect match.

    “I’ve always been a natural leader who wanted to take charge and be involved in every play,” Fisher said. “I maybe started out wanting to be a leader, and the position has given me the opportunity to grow into that, learning how to lead along the way.”

    Leading the Leopards

    Fisher came to Smithsburg High School as a freshman in the fall of 2021 and quickly became the starting setter for a college program that has won 14 state championships, ranking third in state history – nine of which have come since 2009.

    It didn’t take her long to make an impression, being named to the county’s second team, averaging 7.68 assists and 3.70 digs per set.

    “My freshman year, the senior setter had just graduated, so I was able to play so much because I was the only setter that year,” Fisher said. “I was grateful that I was able to take on such a big role so early to grow as a person and a player. I was surrounded by a great group of girls who took me in right away and didn’t treat me like a freshman.”

    Fisher has been an all-county first team player for the past two years. In 2022, she averaged 9.08 assists, 2.38 digs and 0.86 aces per set. In 2023, she led the county in assists (9.24) and aces (0.97) per set as Smithsburg won the Central Maryland Conference small-school championship.

    The only thing Fisher hasn’t done yet is win a state championship. The Leopards reached the Class 1A state finals last year, but lost to county rival Clear Spring in a five-set thriller. The Blazers are the two-time reigning state champions.

    “I’m excited to be back in the culture of Smithsburg volleyball,” Fisher said. “Last season it really felt like a family and I’m happy to be a part of it again. We lost quite a few seniors so I’m looking forward to meeting the new players and playing with all my friends.

    “The goal is to win states and CMCs. We were so close (to a state title) last year and it was an insane competition. I just want to have a fun and memorable senior season.”

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