University of Arizona Athletics

Committing to a D1 school is exciting, but committing with two people you know is even better. Paige Whipple, outside hitter for Arizona's volleyball team, was surprised to see that she was going to be attending the university with two familiar faces, Hannah and Hailey Clifford. The three, who hail from Salem, Oregon, are all finishing up their first seasons with the Wildcats.
 
"This situation was cool because we played together throughout middle school," said Whipple. "And then later we found out that the three of us had all committed to play sports at the same college. Since it was not common for many D1 athletes to come out of Salem, it was really crazy to see that all three of us were going to the same place."
 
Sisters Hannah and Hailey Clifford, who both play for Arizona's women's soccer team, are from the same city as Paige, and the three of them actually knew each other growing up. The Cliffords added, "It is cool to have Salem represented in multiple sports here." The trio met in middle school, playing on the same club basketball team.
 
"The four years I played basketball with them were probably the best years I have ever played," said Whipple. "We had an awesome coach, and he was known all over Oregon as one of the top boys basketball coaches. We had a lot of success as a team. For the first three years together, we went undefeated. The group of girls on the team still stay in touch. Our team was called Extreme, so we all reference 'oh back to the Extreme days'. Overall we made a lot of family friendships on that time."
 
With their busy schedules it has been hard for the three of them to get together, but they try and keep up with each other as much as they can. With 457 minutes of play and 2 goals under her belt, Hannah Clifford has found her place on field.
 
"It has been fun," said Hannah. "Just trying to fill the role, do what you can as a freshman, and earn time. The team has done really well this year, so it has been fun to be apart of that."
 
As a freshman, Whipple has been a great addition on the court for Arizona. She is second on the team with 177 kills this season.
 
"It has been really coo," said Whipple. "I did not have any expectations coming in because a lot of freshman do not get the chance to contribute right away. It has been an amazing experience to be able to be on the court right away. I know that I have things to work on, and Hannah would probably say the same. It has been cool to be involved in the action right away. It is also cool to see Hannah having so much success. It is awesome that we have such a big community in Salem that supports both of us here."