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Bear lands with NAIA team

Nikki Weaver will sign with Berry, a school in Georgia, today.

By VINCENT THOMAS
Published February 17, 2006

Mothers are prone to obsessing about the affairs of their children, especially life-shaping decisions such as what college they choose. So as time wore on and Nikki Weaver had yet to hear back from her college of choice, guess who was doing all the worrying? Yep, Mom was.

"My mom did so much more worrying about it than I did," Weaver said. "I was just sitting back. I figured (the coach) was going to make her decision regardless of how much I worried about it."

Nikki and her mother, Vicki Weaver, also her former Central coach, are worrying no more. Today, the 2005 Citrus-Hernando Volleyball Player of the Year will sign a letter of intent to play for Berry, a small, private school in northern Georgia that competes in NAIA. She'll play defensive specialist and outside hitter as she has for Central and her club team.

Weaver said Berry coach Brianne Smedley didn't offer her much feedback after her private workout late last year, so she wasn't sure she'd get a spot on the squad. The news was a relief.

For her first year, the bulk of Weaver's tuition and expenses will be covered by an academic scholarship and other aid. It is likely that next season, after a couple of seniors currently playing her position depart, she will receive an athletic scholarship. Tuition, room and board cost about $25,000 a year at Berry.

Weaver, following in her father's footsteps, will study environmental science. She said she fell in love with the campus and Mount Berry has a small-town feeling similar to Brooksville. And she already has made friends, hanging out with future teammates and attending a men's basketball game during her recruiting visit.

She does have a few concerns about living in close quarters with a roommate, especially if they're a neat freak because her room stays a mess. She'll miss having long-time teammate Noemi Rivera set for her. And Weaver doesn't doubt she'll get a little homesick. But none of that has tempered how excited she is about going away to college.

"Every day, I tell at least three or four people how much I can't wait to go to Berry," Weaver said.

Vincent Thomas can be reached at vthomas@sptimes.com or 352 848-1430.

[Last modified February 17, 2006, 02:15:35]