As the Quinnipiac volleyball team begins their focus on the 2023 MAAC Tournament, there is one family who supports everything the team has done.
Senior middle blocker Lexi Morse decided to take a risk by leaving Tampa, Florida, so she could play college volleyball at Quinnipiac. Kimberly Morse, Lexi’s mother, was at first hesitant about having her daughter go to school in Connecticut.
However, it was not just her parents she was leaving, it was also her grandparents. Homer and Susan Clark practically watched Lexi grow up, even though they lived in Georgia.
“She is our only granddaughter, her mom is our only child, and Lexi is our only grandchild,” said Susan.
Because of this, the Clarks supported Lexi in all that she did, whether it was motocross, playing bass guitar or riding her horses at their farm. But no matter what, her grandparents say that she always sees things through.
“She came into this world with full force, she was an achiever. She never took on something she didn’t finish,” Homer said.
As Lexi got older, she became interested in one sport, volleyball. One offseason, she decided to attend a volleyball training clinic at Penn State with seven-time national champion head coach Russ Rose. This started a relationship between Rose and the Morse family.
“He (Rose) would show up to Lexi’s club games and everybody would turn and look at him in awe. The parents would then wonder who he was scouting until he would tell them he was supporting Lexi,” Kimberly said.
When she finally made her decision to play volleyball at Quinnipiac, her entire family supported Quinnipiac volleyball. The only downside for the Clarks was they were unable to travel to Connecticut to watch her play. This was until they found out about Quinnipiac’s student media, who cover and broadcast every Quinnipiac home game.
The Clarks then decided to have watch parties in their home every home weekend so they can still support Lexi Morse and the rest of the Bobcats. The two could be heard throughout their farm cheering and celebrating. The celebrations would even startle Lexi’s horses, which will come in from time to time watch the games.
During Lexi Morse’s Senior Day weekend, her grandparents decided to make the trip to Hamden to watch their granddaughter play college volleyball in person for the first time. Needless to say, they became emotional.
The Clarks were proud watching their granddaughter lead her team in battle as they played against Marist and Siena. On Senior Day, in front of hundreds of fans, the Clarks stood up and encouraged the fans to stand up and cheer as the Bobcats scored their match point.
This excitement was four years in the making, and is a main reason why many student athletes and coaches loved seeing them cheering on the Bobcats.
The two will continue their support from the comforts of their home in Georgia as Quinnipiac begins their MAAC Title defense this weekend.
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