It was hardly an instant love affair for Morgan Epp. After some heartbreak and pain in elementary school, it wasn’t until Grade 10 when she discovered the romance was somewhat alive.

Today, as an 18-year-old graduating from Fulton Secondary, Epp has secured a lucrative volleyball scholarship with the College of Idaho Coyotes in Caldwell.

“I was not coordinated at all in Grade 3 volleyball at Okanagan Landing, so I quit,” said Epp, a 6-foot blond who didn’t really rekindle any affection for the sport until Grade 10, under Kulwinder Smith’s junior B team.

“I liked it more then. It was a bit slower play and it was the level I needed to start at. In Grade 11, I tried out for the senior team and made it somehow. It was a learning experience. I was scared half the time, but I started enjoying it more. We placed 12th at the provincials, where I sat on the bench except for two games. I was happier there with no pressure.”

Epp, feeling more confident, started at middle for Sharon Shaigec’s Maroons this season, helping them finish 11th in the province after knocking off the VSS Panthers in the zone playdowns.

She and a few members of the B.C. champion Kalamalka Lakers attended a prospects camp in Calgary last fall. Epp received 11 college offers, but Idaho was closest to home.

“I sent them a DVD and I told them: ‘I’m a very green player, I’m a few years behind the other players.’ I went down there with my dad (Russ) and I played with the five senior girls and the coach, Liz Mendiola, said I had lots of potential and she really liked coaching me. The girls there, I’ve never seen guys hit that hard. We played two-on-two so it was fun. The girls were really nice.”

The College of Idaho is a liberal arts school near Boise. The Coyotes finished at No. 19 in the NAIA top-25 at 24-10 overall. They won the Cascade Conference title at 19-2 while stretching their four-year home winning streak.

Epp, whose mother, Tricia, played on Canada’s junior team and later Canadian and U.S. university volleyball, will receive a $10,000 academic scholarship plus at least $3,500 and possibly $7,000 in athletic funding.

Shaigec figures the Yellowknife-born Epp will only get better in Idaho.

“I knew she had potential. When a six-footer walks into the gym, you only get excited,” smiled Shaigec. “Morgan is a big presence. She’s a big and tall middle and she’s always surprised when she makes a huge block or hit. The college volleyball should bring out more confidence. There was one match this season where she played with an injured shoulder and had 16 blocks in two games.”

When not in training, Epp enjoys hanging out with her boyfriend, 6-foot-5 Viper all-star defenceman Kyle Bigos.