Baylor's Gabby Gray has signed to continue her volleyball career and education at Western Carolina University. Shown at her signing party at Memorial Gymnasium are, front row, left to right, mother Vivina Gray, Gabby and dad, John. Back row, l-r, coaches Sarah Lail, Duane Hill and Jennifer Sommers.
photo by Dennis Norwood
Sarah Lail has done a magnificent job of building an outstanding volleyball program in the eight years she’s been the head coach for the Baylor Lady Red Raiders.
She’s done so through an incredible amount of hard work and a talented group of young ladies.
Baylor will lose four seniors off a team that finished second in the state to Briarcrest this year and finished with a record of 45-4.
One of those four seniors is slender Gabby Gray, who without question is the heart and soul of this team, a statistical leader and one of the most talented players to ever wear the Baylor uniform.
Gray is a four-year day student from Chickamauga, Ga. who has been starter since the first day on the Baylor campus. She finished her career with 2,369 kills, 1,405 digs, 287 aces and 144 blocks.
During those four years, the Lady Raiders have a record of 172-27 for a winning percentage of .864. They also won a state title in 2014 while finishing second twice and third once in that same time frame.
She was also named the Gatorade Player of the Year in 2014 and was named MVP at the state tournament that same year.
And now that a sterling prep career has concluded, the 18-year-old daughter of John and Vivina Gray will be playing at the next level after signing scholarship papers on Wednesday evening to continue her career at Western Carolina.
And while the Baylor girls were undefeated for a long part of this past season and even ranked fifth nationally by one poll, things didn’t end like they wanted as they lost to Briarcrest in the finals as Gray had to watch from the bench with a severely-sprained ankle she suffered in a prior match against Harpeth Hall.
The ankle wasn’t broken, but there was virtually no way she could play in her final high school match, although she was dressed out and warmed up with her teammates.
“Winning the state when I was a sophomore was definitely one of my favorite moments as a Baylor volleyball player, but watching them from the sideline in that last match this year was one memory I’ll never forget,” the slender six-footer said while celebrating the occasion with family and friends at Ireland Lounge located inside Baylor’s Memorial Gymnasium.
“To see how hard they worked that day as they played for me was an unforgettable experience. That was also one of my worst feelings as these are my sisters. I felt so helpless, but so very proud of their effort that day. I knew I had to warm-up with them one last time, but I also knew I wouldn’t be able to play,” she recalled that fateful day in Murfreesboro.
Coach Lail has had some really talented players in her time at Baylor and she was hesitant to say that Gray was at the top of the list, but she was quick to say she was in that group.
“She’s been such a delight to have on this team and it’s been great watching her grow up and mature not only as a volleyball player, but an outstanding young lady,” Lail expressed.
“I’ve known Gabby since she was 12. She has an incredible drive for excellence and it’s been fun to watch her succeed these last four years. She’s been such an integral part of this team for the last four years. She’s a great leader and a great player, but she represents who we are and that’s more than volleyball players.
“I felt so bad for her when she got hurt at the state. She was apologizing for that injury, but there was no way she could have played. We’ve had amazing success with her on our team and we’ll miss her next year,” Lail added.
Duane Hill is one of Gray’s club coaches who started a program in Atlanta a few years back. With Gray’s help, they had the second-ranked club team in the nation.
“Gabby is a super hard worker who is really driven to succeed. She’s very responsive to coaching as she listens, changes and executes. I work at UTC now as a staff consultant, so we’ll get to see her on the other side of the net for the next four years,” Hill smiled.
Gray had interest from other teams like South Carolina, Xavier and East Tennessee State, but she was pretty convinced once she made her official visit to Western Carolina. She loves outdoor activities like hiking and climbing, so she was right at home after visiting the lovely campus in North Carolina.
“It’s been my dream to attend Baylor and to play volleyball here as my time here has shaped me as a person and a player. I’m so excited to have the opportunity to play for a school like Western Carolina and I’m blessed to have the ability to play at that level.
“I just want to help contribute to their success. Coach Karen Glover has assured me that I would make a difference on their team, but these years at Baylor have been some of the best years of my life,” Gray concluded.
There’s no question that Baylor will have another outstanding volleyball team next fall. There will be some key players to replace, but none any tougher than Gabby Gray.
She’s had a phenomenal high school career and now it’s going to continue at the next level.
(Email John Hunt at nomarathonmoose@gmail.com)
Baylor's Gabby Gray (10) slams home a kill against East Hamilton during a match this past season. Gray has signed to play her college ball at Western Carolina.
photo by Dennis Norwood/File Photo