Chinle athlete Jada Kee commits to UMPI volleyball program
Chinle’s Jada Kee has taken her game to NCAA Division III, committing to UMPI volleyball and giving Apache County a new college pathway to follow.
Jada Kee of Chinle has committed to play volleyball at the University of Maine at Presque Isle, putting a Navajo athlete from Apache County on an NCAA Division III roster in Presque Isle, Maine. UMPI athletics announced the addition in a July 2, 2026 post titled Owls Add Arizona Standout Jada Kee to Volleyball Program.
Kee’s move carries weight beyond one roster spot because it turns a local success story into a visible college pathway for younger athletes in Chinle and across Apache County. UMPI described Kee as an Arizona standout, and the school’s women’s volleyball page now lists her announcement alongside other recent program news.
The commit also fits into a broader rebuilding effort for the Owls. UMPI’s women’s volleyball recruiting page shows the program had already added players in separate announcements on February 5, 2025 and June 12, 2025, signaling that Kee joins a roster being actively strengthened across multiple recruiting cycles.
For families, coaches and teammates in Chinle, Kee’s decision is the kind of milestone that makes college volleyball feel reachable rather than remote. A student-athlete from the Navajo Nation making the jump to a university in Maine shows younger players that strong play at home can lead to real opportunities at the next level.
UMPI competes in NCAA Division III, a level that combines college athletics with academics and often draws players who want both travel and competition without the scholarship-heavy structure of Division I. For Apache County athletes looking toward the future, Kee’s commitment offers a concrete example: local talent from Chinle can reach a college program thousands of miles away and still be recognized as part of a growing team plan.
The announcement places Kee among the newest names on a volleyball roster that UMPI has been building through multiple recruit additions over the past year and a half. For Chinle, it is another reminder that the route from local courts to college sports is not abstract. It is already here, and Jada Kee just walked it.
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