Brownsboro's Allie Cooper signs to play volleyball at Southern Arkansas University.

Allie Cooper said that when she was in junior high, volleyball just kind of “passed the time” until basketball season.

Now, the Brownsboro senior has established herself as one of the top middle blockers in East Texas and will continue her volleyball career at Southern Arkansas University in Magnolia, Arkansas.

“The coach got there a couple of years ago and is rebuilding the program,” Cooper said. “It will be fun to help turn around a team. When I visited, they welcomed me in, and it felt like the right place to be.”

Southern Arkansas is an NCAA Division II program that competes in the Great American Conference.

Being 5-10, Cooper said she uses her jumping ability and speed to give herself an advantage against her opponents.

Cooper was a regional qualifier in the high jump as a junior.

“She’s very athletic,” Brownsboro head volleyball coach Shannon Williams said. “She’s going to outwork and outplay everyone. She was triple-blocked by 10 or more schools this year, and she was not afraid. She still found a way to dominate. I expect her to do the same at SAU.

“They are going to get an amazing person, not just an athlete and student, but an amazing person who is involved in her church, community and school system. She was definitely our floor leader. I’m not the easiest person to play for, but she did what was needed to succeed. Allie is the toughest and strongest person you will meet. She doesn’t like to lose, whether it is ping pong, darts, volleyball or basketball. She’s a big-time leader who always brings it every time she steps on the floor.”

Cooper averaged 17 kills and two blocks per game this season. She made contact with the ball 1,084 times and had a kill percentage of .531.

Cooper said she plans to major in biomedical sciences and become a physical therapist.

TWITTER: @BrandonOSports