She competed on the gymnastics team at the University of Alabama where she accepted a full athletic scholarship to study beginning in 2016.

[2] At the 2011 Junior Visa Championships, Desch placed tied for seventh on vault, nineteenth on bars, seventeenth on beam, and fifth on floor exercise.

[4] At the start of the year, Desch competed at the City of Jesolo competition with teammates Katelyn Ohashi, Bailie Key, Lexie Priessman, and Amelia Hundley.

[13] At the City of Jesolo Trophy, she contributed to the USA's gold medal finish, and placed eighth in the all-around.

[20] On May 29, 2016, Desch announced her retirement from elite gymnastics via her personal Instagram account,[21] citing a persistent back injury.

[23] In her sophomore season, Desch was named a Scholastic All-American and to the SEC Academic Honor Roll.

She earned a 9.9 on floor exercise at the SEC Championships, where Alabama posted a season-high score in the first session.