Chloe Harris ’16 has known from her freshman year at the Williston Northampton School that the University of Louisville was the Division 1 program where she wanted to make her mark as a lacrosse player.

On Saturday, at a special signing ceremony that featured two of her teammates, Ms. Harris made that verbal commitment official, signing a national letter of intent to play with the Cardinals next year.

She said her desire to go to Louisville had remained unchanged over the past four years. If anything, the bond had only gotten stronger.

“The feeling I got right when I walked on campus was unbelievable. I instantly felt at home and never wanted to leave,” she wrote in an email before the ceremony. “The relationship I have built with the other 2016 commits is indescribable. We are all one big family already.”

Ms. Harris said she was drawn to the competitive nature of her future coaches, an intensity that was simultaneously coupled with a sense of compassion.

“I love that everyone on the team is so, so close with each other!” she wrote. “I fit in right away with the girls and coaches [and] I’m not even the slightest bit nervous for next year.”

As their daughter put her name to the official form in the Birch Dining Commons, her parents, Cathi and Peter Harris, said that the commitment was the culmination of four years of personal growth.

“She verbally committed as a freshman so for her, Williston was more about becoming a person, to be herself,” Mr. Harris said. “We both think that Williston has helped her dramatically become the person she is today and get her ready to go to college.”

“Today was the culmination of her hard work in the classroom and as an athlete,” agreed Mrs. Harris.

The whole Harris family agreed that, if there was one crowning moment for the senior, it was during a game against Tabor Academy last spring. The Wildcats went into double overtime and sudden death before pulling out the win.

“Chloe and the team just stuck it out,” said Mr. Harris. That is what we love to see; not giving up and what Fulch inspires and instills in these kids—a never-quit attitude—is just great. It was a great win for the program. It was an awesome game.”