DUBLIN — Morgan Schumacher, a rising senior at West Bladen High School, will be representing Bladen County and North Carolina at the week-long Nokaoi Volleyball Showcase in Hawaii this week. She will arrive in Hawaii on Monday and matches begin on Wednesday.

Schumacher is the only player from Bladen County who will be participating, but there are six other athletes from North Carolina playing in the showcase.

According to Schumacher, a college coach had to nominate her to play in the showcase event in Hawaii. She doesn’t know which college coach gave her name, but playing travel volleyball gave her the opportunity to be in front of numerous college coaches. Now, she is excited about being in front of at least 30 more college coaches when she plays the showcase.

“I hope I play the best I have ever played to help get my name out there in front of other college coaches and I hope to get offered some scholarships,” Schumacher said.

Prior to the trip, Schumacher has stayed busy — helping her high-school coach, Gaye Davis, with the Mini-Volleyball Camp and working to raise money for her trip.

“The fundraisers paid half the funds I needed to go on this trip,” she said.

“We definitely want to thank everyone who helped us,” said Morgan’s mother Amy. “We had two raffles to raise money. All our friends and the people we work with really helped us with raising funds.”

According to Amy, Morgan’s will have a meet-n-greet the first day, the second day will be practice, and then the tournaments will begin on Wednesday. Shannon Hudson, head volleyball coach from Catawba Valley Community College in Hickory, will be the coach for Schumacher’s team.

After her trip to Hawaii, Schumacher has plans for her future education. Her long-term goal is to be a pediatric oncologist/hematologist.

“I like Coastal Carolina College and Florida University,” she said. “I plan on going four years with a scholarship to a university, and then transfer to medical school. I hope to have six years instead of four years when I transfer because I’m currently taking college classes from Bladen Community College.”

Schumacher is the daughter of Amy and Andy Schumacher.