Junior Asia Thigpen is moving from outside hitter to libero this year to better prepare her to play at Kentucky.
Kentucky coach Craig Skinner’s every day approach made a big impression on star recruit Asia Thigpen of North Carolina, a top 60 player in the 2024 recruiting class.
“I really like how every single year Kentucky’s goal is to win a national championship,” said Thigpen. “Some schools see how they do in conference play and hope to make the (NCAA) tourney. I do not want to make the tourney. I want to win and that’s what Kentucky wants to do.”
That’s a big reason she recently gave her verbal commitment to Kentucky even though she always anticipated she would go to college on the west coast.
“Then I went out there and realized how homesick I would be that far away. Six hours in a plane is not for me,” Thigpen said. “I was at another camp and was about to fly to another camp. Kentucky had been No. 1 for a while with me. Then he offered me. I just decided I was ready to make Kentucky my choice.”
Thigpen’s goal has always been to play at the highest level possible and Kentucky not only has become a consistent winner but it won its first national championship two seasons ago.
“Kentucky showed me a lot of love. They made me feel wanted as a player and not just a number,” Thigpen said. “I went to their camp and the very first day coach Skinner was talking about winning a national championship. I love coaches who have the same hunger to win as I do. I felt a connection and just knew playing for a coach like that would be a lot easier for me.”
Thigpen, 16, likes that UK is only about a 6 1/2-hour drive from her Pittsboro, N.C. home.
“For me it is a relief to have the college decision made. It’s over with and now I can just play freely,” Thigpen said. “I know there is some added pressure on me being committed to Kentucky but I am excited for my high school season. I am going to a new school (Green Level High School) with a huge student section so that is going to be fun.”
The 5-10 Thigpen has been an outside hitter but plans to move mainly to libero this season to improve her passing to better prepare her for college volleyball.
“I am very competitive,” she said. “I know I am only 5-10 and at UK I can have more impact as a bigger libero than I can as an undersized outside hitter. There are undersized outside hitters who are amazing but I just think I have bigger room for growth at libero.”
