Trammell cements next step
Robbinsville – It was really just a formality.
After all, Desta Trammell has known for years that she wanted to play for the Lenoir-Rhyne University Lady Bears, a NCAA Division II program out of Hickory.
She entertained offers from six different institutions. She even visited a few to make sure her heart was in the right place.
“It was a hard decision,” Trammell said. “I didn’t know whether I wanted to go far away from home – like Ohio – or stay close to my family, where they could attend games. That was a huge factor for me, but the Lenoir-Rhyne coaching staff – and the type of game that they play – really stuck out to me.
“I felt it in my gut like that’s where I needed to go.”
The latest in the Trammell family lineage to take their talents to the next level (her older sisters Tacey and Faith competed in basketball, and track & field, respectively, at UNC-Asheville and Mars Hill University), Desta announced her verbal commitment to Lenoir-Rhyne on April 11, but made it official by signing her Letter of Intent on May 3.
“This feels awesome,” said Trammell. “I’ve been on campus a few times and the first day I was there, it automatically felt like I was home. I love the girls there, the coaches and I’m super excited to continue my career there.”
So much has been written about her basketball accolades that Trammell’s resume speaks for itself – but to mention a few, she dropped 1,950 points in her career at Robbinsville High (second all-time in school history); hit 63 foul shots in a row between her junior and senior seasons (which set a new state record for both men’s and women’s high-school basketball) and was the Smoky Mountain Conference Player of the Year – twice.
The Lady Knights won the division in 2021 and advanced to at least the second round of the postseason with Trammell at the helm as point guard all four years of her varsity stay. Robbinsville was also 77-25 during the stretch.
Needless to say, Trammell has excelled in basketball since her first time picking up a ball.
Over the years, Trammell has dabbled in track & field, as well as soccer, softball and volleyball, but growing up in gymnasiums as her sister Tacey pursued her own love for the sport finalized basketball as her life-long love.
“Basketball was the first sport I ever played,” Trammell noted.
“It became part of my personality and I decided to stick with it.”
Trammell is eyeing a degree in nursing, with plans to become a nurse practitioner.
“I know it will be a lot of hard work with basketball and nursing school – but it’s possible, so I really believe I can do it,” Trammell said. “I love the setting, stressful situations and being able to help people.”