The recruiting process can be an exciting—and nerve-wracking—time, but when it ends with an offer and commit to the school of a player’s dreams, it can be one of the most wonderful experiences in a young athlete’s life.

But, like real life, it can also have its twists and turns and unpleasant surprises.

Alexis “Lexi” Duncan is an outfielder from Stockbridge, Ga. talented enough to have made the 2016 Hot 100 as one of the elite players in the country and plays on the powerhouse Georgia Elite – Hoover team, one of the top 16U teams in the country.

A 5-foot-11 All-State player with the ability to hit over .500 at the high school level and mix in power as a 3 or 4 hole hitter, Lexi has been a part of three travel teams that have had top 10 finishes at PGF Nationals and she showed what she can do on a big stage when she hit .476 at the TC/USA Nationals last year.

All her success and abilities were recognized by major colleges and she after receiving a lot of attention, Lexi thought she had it made when she was offered by Kentucky and quickly verballed to the Wildcats.

However, a year after being committed, the offer fell through and now she finds herself back on the recruiting market (note: college coaches are not permitted to discuss recruitable players and situations such as this one).

So how do you handle an unexpected bump in the road to playing at the next level?

“I was devastated,” she says candidly, “but what could I do? I mean it’s terrible, but I understand it’s a business and sometimes early verbals aren’t always a good thing.”

Surprisingly, Lexi shows little bitterness about the situation and her feelings towards Kentucky.

“I still love (Head) Coach (Rachel) Lawson and have no hard feelings,” the Georgia junior explains. “She said she would always speak highly of me, it’s just something that happens.”

Getting back in the recruiting game is hard, Lexi admits, but she feels she has a better idea of how to approach the process now.

“I’ve had several schools contact me since, but I am not going to rush into anything,” she continues. “The right school will come and, really, I’m just ready to hit the dirt.”

When asked how she keeps her spirits so high, she says, “I play on a team (Georgia Elite) with all my best friends—seven of us since 2008—and my coaches, Australia Hoover and Fred Ablan, have been my coaches since I was 10 years old.”

“Not to mention my dad who continues to stand by me and takes me to visit schools.”

The tall outfielder, who is not afraid to lay out to make a dazzling catch, led her Woodland-Henry Co. High School team to the Sweet 16 in the competitive Georgia playoffs and stands by her state’s quality of talent.

“I think Georgia has the same talent as California, we’re just not that big!” she laughs.

While patiently waiting for the recruiting process to play its way out the second time around, Lexi says she’s focusing now on gearing up for a big year with the Elite, which will play an 18U competitive schedule in preparation for a national championship run at PGF this summer.

She says she’s also looking forward to a trip up the East Coast to play in the Team NJ Showcase.

“I’ve never been there (New Jersey), but my Grandma has and says, ‘Ya’ll are gonna love it!’”

Although she knows she may have fallen behind a bit in the recruiting timeline, Lexi says she’s keeping her spirits high.

“I’m big conference ready,” she proclaims, “and I can’t wait to show it on the field.”