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A couple of years ago, Sophia Overholt sat on the stage in Polk County’s auditorium and watched her sister, Olivia, take part in a ceremony honoring her signing to run track at Lenoir-Rhyne.

Thursday morning, Overholt returned to that very same spot – except this time, the spotlight was all hers.

The Wolverine standout stepped back into the glare and made a bit of history, becoming what is believed to be Polk County’s first Division I volleyball signee in making her decision official to attend and play at USC Upstate.

The moment, one Overholt had long wanted, proved all she wanted.

“It’s everything,” she said. “It’s just been a big dream of mine to play college volleyball since I was little. And for this day to be finally here, it’s such an accomplishment for me.”

Joining Overholt for the Signing Day ceremony were teammates Mia Bradley and Morgan Yoder, who made official their own commitments. Of the trio, Overholt has had her college destination set the longest, making her commitment this spring.

That, she said, allowed her more peace of mind to enjoy her final season, one in which she overcame a knee injury to help lead the Wolverines to their second straight 1A state championship. Overholt was named to the North Carolina Volleyball Coaches Association 1A All-State team and is drawing interest from some high school all-star games.

“It made it way easier,” Overholt said of the early commitment. “Just knowing that I have a place I’m going to and I don’t have to worry about sending film out or worry about the hunt for a college coach. It just made it all easier.”

Overholt often made things look easy on the court. The Most Valuable Player of last season’s state final, she notched her 1,000th career dig in the 1A West Regional final and would likely have also reached 1,000 kills this season without her injury. USC Upstate has indicated that Overholt will be a back-line player, and Polk County head coach Molly Hill has no doubt she’ll thrive in that role.

And no doubt that Overholt can perform at the Division I level.

“That was a goal of hers. She’s wanted that since she was in middle school,” Hill said. “So it’s really exciting to see these things coming to light now and it being something she’s accomplished.

“We knew this kid was going to be special when we were coaching her in sixth and seventh and eighth grade (on club teams). I knew from when she was little that she was going to be an amazing back-row player. She’s just so athletic and she’s willing to go after every ball and dive after everything. She’s just one of those players who contributed so much on the front row, but also one that I was trying to pull back in every serve receive and trying to pull back in defense because I knew she could pass the ball so well. That’s really special. Coaches want that.”

Coaches also played a key role in Overholt’s college choice, specifically Upstate head coach Ali Skayhan and assistants Justin Sanders and Alex Scharpenberg.

“They’re so great,” Overholt said. “They’re so nice and so welcoming to the girls. So sweet, so kind.

“And then I didn’t want to be too far away from home. I can still go home, but I still feel like I’m not at home. And the campus is so pretty as well.”

Save for the early-season injury scare, Overholt couldn’t have asked for much more from her senior season – another state title to celebrate and conference and statewide recognition. Getting her time in the spotlight Thursday, though, provided the perfect ending to that dream fall.

“I would never have thought about winning back-to-back state championships and then signing,” Overholt said. “So it’s kind of cool and a very special moment to have.”