L-P alumnus Marisa Guisti transfers to Southeast Missouri State

Because of COVID-19 and its effect on college sports, the NCAA granted athletes an extra year of eligibility.

La Salle-Peru graduate Marisa Guisti decided to take advantage of the opportunity.

After earning a bachelor’s degree in sports media at Butler and playing three seasons of volleyball for the Bulldogs, Guisti will play for Southeast Missouri State University this fall as a graduate transfer.

“I wanted to have a fun fifth year. Because of COVID we got to have this extra year, so I wanted to utilize it. I knew that I’d regret it if I didn’t do it. It’s another year of volleyball and another year of college, so I thought, why not?”

—  Marisa Guisti, Southeast Missouri State volleyball player

“I just wanted to have fun,” Guisti said. “I wanted to have a fun fifth year. Because of COVID we got to have this extra year, so I wanted to utilize it. I knew that I’d regret it if I didn’t do it. It’s another year of volleyball and another year of college, so I thought, why not?

“Southeast Missouri State has an advertising certificate that I can complete in a year and just add that to my resume.”

For Guisti, it was her second time in the transfer portal. She played her freshman year at La Salle University before the school dropped the program.

Southeast Missouri expressed interest in Guisti the last time she was in the portal, but she ultimately choose Butler because of the degree it offered.

“It was back in the portal looking at schools again,” Guisti said. “I had a few different schools reach out. Southeast Missouri actually was a school that reached out to me prior to Butler. It probably would have been the school I would have chosen if they would have had as good of a degree as Butler did in the field I was looking at. I was super excited when they reached back out.”

She said it was “definitely crazy” being back in the portal.

“I tried to remind myself that I’m just looking to have fun, so basically I wanted to find a program that I was going to like the girls and like the school and just look to have fun,” Guisti said.

Guisti liked the coaching staff at Southeast Missouri and the Redhawks’ success in the Ohio Valley Conference.

Southeast Missouri finished runner-up in the OVC Tournament last season after winning the OVC regular-season and tournament championships in 2021. The Redhawks also won the OVC Tournament in 2019.

“I talked to the coaches a little before [the last time I was in the portal],” said Guisti, who’s already moved to Cape Girardeau, Mo., and started practices. “It’s still the same staff. I really liked them. They’re really competitive in then OVC. I think it would be fun to walk out with a run or walk out trying for one.

“It’s super cool a school that’s super competitive in its conference reached out.”

At Butler, Guisti had 175 kills, 141 digs and 132 blocks in 51 matches played. As a senior last fall, Guisti led the Big East Conference in blocks per set 1.14 and was named College Sports Communicators Academic All District.

As a freshman at La Salle in 2019, the former NewsTribune Volleyball Player of the Year led the team in blocks and was named to the Atlantic 10 Conference All-Rookie Team.

“I’m definitely grateful for the experience I had [at Butler],” Guisti said. “I loved playing volleyball there. I graduated with a great degree. I met some awesome girls and people I made good connections with.

“I’m super excited to start somewhere new where I can relax, have fun and remember why I play volleyball.”