Leesburg, Fla. – To say Ember Oglesby was not highly recruited two years ago would be an understatement.

Coming out of Lecanto High School in Lecanto, FL in 2018, Ember checked off all the boxes as a top athlete. Standing at 5'11, she had the ability to bench press 175 lbs, but also had the speed to steal bases on the diamond. She was incredibly light on her feet, most likely due to her volleyball career as a Panther. Ember finished fifth in the state in weight lifting as a senior while also earning All-District honors for softball.

After graduating high school Summa Cum Laude, Ember had one athletic scholarship offer. A softball scholarship to Lake-Sumter State College. "Robert Dupler is the Softball Coach at Lecanto HS and a good friend of mine," said Head Softball Coach, Jay Miller. "He called me and let me know he had a remarkable young lady on his softball team who just needed an opportunity. We brought her in for a workout and we could tell right away she had ridiculous power." Coach Miller was also impressed with her academics and who she was as a person. They decided it was a good fit for both parties and she signed on to be a Lakehawk in the spring of 2018.

As a freshman, Ember appeared in 16 games for the softball team. In the middle of the summer of 2019, she was working toward getting ready for softball when a phone call came in. "We unexpectedly lost a player a couple weeks before camp started," said Head Volleyball Coach, Amanda Phelps. "I reached out to coach Miller and he suggested I give Ember a call." After talking it over with Coach Phelps, Ember was on board to give volleyball another go after not playing for an entire year. "She had the mindset to do it and the work ethic to get it done," Miller said.

"Ember was incredibly shy when she first started working out with us," said Phelps. "Once she got comfortable being back on the court, she meshed instantly with the rest of the team." In the beginning, Ember was not sure how to differentiate the two sports. "I remember telling her she HAD to make sure she was getting rest," Miller recalls. "She had a weekend off at some point during volleyball season and tried to ask if she could dress for the softball game. You don't see that kind of hunger and desire in everyone. She is really special."

Coach Phelps and Coach Miller would meet to discuss Ember and how to deal with having a two-sport athlete. "It was brand new territory for both of us and we had to make sure she wasn't getting burned out," Phelps said. After appearing in 13 matches and hitting .500 or better in four of them while collecting 30 blocks, college coaches began to take notice.

Going into her sophomore season of softball, Ember was looking like she was destined for the volleyball court instead of a softball diamond. "Warner University was the first school to talk to me about Ember playing both sports," Miller said. "It is incredibly tough to play multiple sports in high school, let alone at the collegiate level." Midway through the 2020 spring softball season, Warner made an offer to Ember to play both sports and she couldn't say no. "I was kind of shocked," she said. "It is a blessing to continue playing both softball and volleyball."

Athletic Director, Michael Matulia, is very impressed with Ember and her dedication to athletics. "In this day and age, it is extremely difficult to play two sports in college," he said. "You may see some football players that participate in baseball or track and field in the spring, but it is rare. It is only a viable option in limited sports because they overlap and have offseason requirements." Matulia continued, "But volleyball and softball are so different, minus the overhand motion of throwing and serving. What she is doing is incredible."

Matulia does not recall any previous two-sport athletes moving on from Lake-Sumter and continuing to play multiple sports at the four-year level. "It is a lot of work staying on top of everything," Ember told us. "I am willing to do whatever it takes to be able to continue my dream and keep playing." When asked what her favorite part of being a multi-sport athlete is, she said, "being able to meet so many amazing people and create such an incredible new family."

Ember is set to begin at Warner University in the upcoming fall. Not too shabby for a girl who was barely recruited and just simply wanted an opportunity to play.