From small-town beginnings to breaking collegiate records, Cicily Hidalgo’s story is just getting started. She not only played for the Southeastern volleyball team: she helped them write history and win championships. 

The Louisiana native began her volleyball journey in Opelousas before making her impact as one of Southeastern’s most successful players. After trying out for the USA National Team, she decided to take her career to the next level and pursue volleyball professionally.

During her collegiate career, Hidalgo broke many records and finished second in program history with 1,646 career points and 1,446 career kills — she is the second athlete in the school’s history to cross 1,400 kills.

Hidalgo was introduced to the sport at a young age by her family. Her parents met through volleyball, and her sister was a player, too. In high school, she realized that volleyball was her passion and wanted to pursue it on a higher level. 

In 2020, in the midst of the pandemic, Southeastern became a clear choice for her. Her sister, Jolie, was already on the team, and the certainty of the offer made her feel safe during the unpredictable times of COVID-19. 

“I chose Southeastern during a very confusing time of Covid. There was a lot of uncertainty, so knowing a little bit about my future gave me stability. In my head, there wasn’t an option of another school when they provided so much for me here,” Hidalgo said. 

In Fall 2021, Hidalgo started her Lady Lion career, not knowing how much success she would achieve with her team. Her favorite memories include becoming regular season champions and winning the conference championship, as well as their victory over LSU during the 2023 season.  

These results would not have been possible without former head coach Jeremy White, who led the team to two SLC regular season titles, won the SLC Tournament in 2023 and was named LSWA Louisiana Coach of the Year three times during his six years at Southeastern. 

Current head coach Lee McBride joined the Lions’ coaching staff in 2024 as an assistant coach and became the head coach after White departed. According to McBride, Hidalgo is a player who brings energy, leadership and an unmatched work ethic to the court and serves as a great example for her teammates. 

“We always reference things she did last year regarding her work ethic and attitude to current players. She just had a phenomenal year. I think it was because she was very consistently driven and had excellent focus on what her goals were as an individual, which helped us out as a team,” McBride said. 

Coach McBride added Hidalgo’s strength is her confidence to excel in every aspect of the game. Whatever the team needs and the game demands, she delivers. 

“Cicily is a very good all-around player. She can do everything well: she’s as good a passer and defensive player as she is an offensive player, so that’s what makes her so valuable,” McBride said. 

During Hidalgo’s four years at Southeastern, a whole new world opened up to her. She met many people with different experiences and backgrounds, which widened her horizons. She said she became a more understanding person and made lifelong connections that she will cherish forever. 

“I have a lot of emotions when I play and I definitely play for others rather than for myself. During my time here, I grew into a more understanding person and sharing the court with my friends makes it so much easier to play with and for them,” Hidalgo said. 

As a student-athlete, she lives by the words “one day at a time” and goes into each day with a positive mindset. As a piece of advice for future student athletes, Hidalgo emphasized not taking things for granted and developing qualities beyond just skill such as maintaining a positive mindset, respecting the rules, being punctual and being a supportive teammate. 

“Get better at the things that require no skill. For example, it takes no skill to be a good teammate, a good person or a good student. They can recruit anyone with skill but they can’t recruit just anyone with a genuine heart,” Hidalgo advised.

While receiving many awards — being named AVCA All-American, AVCA All-Region, first-team All-Southland, first-team All-Louisiana and SLC Player of the Year — Hidalgo is proudest of the SLC Student-Athlete of the Year title since it shows her dedication and professionalism both on and off the court. 

“The award that stands out to me the most is Southland Conference Student-Athlete of the Year because not a lot of people have that. I’m also very dedicated to other things besides volleyball. Most people don’t even realize that I actually put in a lot of work on my school side too,” Hidalgo said. 

Taking the next step in her career, Hidalgo flew to Colorado Springs in the February 2025 to attend the USA National Volleyball Team’s U22 age group tryouts. During the three-day-long evaluation,  Hidalgo showcased her talent, attended high-intensity practices and competed against some of the top players in the country. 

Hidalgo has already decided to continue her career on the professional level and her dream is to make the final roster for the national team and join the summer tour in Europe with her fellow teammates.

Despite the numerous awards and nominations, Hidalgo believes her legacy lies beyond trophies and records. For her, it’s not just about competition, but also about her influence on others. She hopes to be remembered for both her kind soul and competitive spirit. 

“I think people who aren’t part of the team think my legacy is my competitiveness and my will to win. But people who truly know me would say that it is being the best teammate I can be. Day in and day out.”