Growing up a daughter of a volleyball coach, Erin Deffenbaugh-Ready excelled in multiple sports at Strasburg High School. She then went on to star at the University of Northern Colorado and had a volleyball career that included Division II Player of the Year, Division I Independent Player of the Year, and a retired jersey in the rafters at UNC. The recipe for this was simple: talent, hard-work, great teammates, family and community support, and an ability to overcome adversity.