UV-bound: Brownsville junior Gates commits to Virginia for volleyball
Skyler Gates turned a lot of heads playing for Brownsville无毛视频檚 girls volleyball team last season, one that left NCAA Division-1 schools hot on her trail.
无毛视频淪kyler had such a great sophomore year,无毛视频� Lady Falcons head coach Rachael Salvucci said. 无毛视频淪he got her 500th career kill and she ended up with around 154 blocks.
无毛视频淚 definitely knew big things were coming for her.无毛视频�
Gates fielded offers from several schools but when the University of Virginia showed interest she listened intently.
Not long after attending a volleyball camp at the ACC school located in Charlottesville, the 16-year-old, 6-foot-4 junior made her college decision to commit to the Cavaliers.
无毛视频淚 had a few schools interested in me, like UMBC in Baltimore, Utah, Arizona State and the University of Alabama-Birmingham,无毛视频� Gates said. 无毛视频淚 was on the phone with all those schools. I无毛视频檓 only a junior so I had two extra years and I didn无毛视频檛 know if I wanted to wait or just commit.
无毛视频淭he more I thought about it, I said I无毛视频檓 ready.无毛视频�
One of the key reasons she was swayed to choose Virginia was her experience at the Virginia volleyball camp.
无毛视频淰irginia sent me a questionnaire and I answered it,无毛视频� Gates recalled. 无毛视频淭hen they just started sending me things through the mail. On June 15 they were finally allowed to reach out to me so we got on a call then.无毛视频�
Gates was invited to come to a volleyball camp on June 27 at the Virginia campus and felt she performed fairly well.
无毛视频淚 had a lot of fun and thought I made a good impression,无毛视频� Gates said. 无毛视频淭hey told me I was quick to learn things and easy to teach, very coachable. So I thought it went real well.无毛视频�
She made enough of an impact where Virginia head coach Shannon Wells called Gates directly the day after the camp to offer her a scholarship.
无毛视频淪hannon got on the phone with me and she asked me how do you want to do this and I said I probably would want to go on a campus visit first,无毛视频� Gates said.
Gates set up a visit but then decided she didn无毛视频檛 really need the second trip to make her decision.
无毛视频淭he more I thought about it, I really did like the school, so I had my dad (Ricky Gates) reach out to her and I told her that I was ready to commit.
无毛视频淎t the camp I got to see some of the campus, like where they play their basketball games, I got to go in Memorial Gymnasium where the volleyball team plays. I got to see the baseball field and the football field, too, and then I got to see a few of the buildings. I got to go into the dorms and the main food court. I got to see a little bit of the Corner (a popular area for students that includes restaurants, bookstores, bars and other businesses).无毛视频�
The proximity of the school also influenced Gates无毛视频� decision.
无毛视频淚t was definitely a factor,无毛视频� Gates admitted. 无毛视频淚 wanted to get away from home but not too far. I无毛视频檓 close enough where if I need something my dad can be there.无毛视频�
Gates, who also plays volleyball for Rise, a club team located in Morgantown, West Virginia, is relieved to get the recruiting process out of the way.
无毛视频淚t无毛视频檚 kind of good to get it done because now I don无毛视频檛 have to worry about it any more,无毛视频� Gates said. 无毛视频淚t makes it a lot easier.
无毛视频淢y dad definitely was happy with my decision and my Uncle Mark (Gates) was probably the most excited out of them all. He just texted me actually not too long ago.无毛视频�
Gates isn无毛视频檛 about to rest on her laurels now that her college future has been decided.
无毛视频淚 definitely want to keep improving,无毛视频� Gates said. 无毛视频淢ostly, I want to get faster on my blocking and I also want to work on serving in back row so that I can be kind of an all-around player.无毛视频�
Right now Gates is concentrating on playing for the Lady Falcons, whose first official day of practice was on Monday.
Salvucci has been with the program for 17 years, including eight as the head coach. She is in her second year of her second stint as head coach and said Gates is one of the best players she无毛视频檚 seen at Brownsville.
无毛视频淭he thing about Skyler is she无毛视频檚 such a presence on the court and she has such a great attitude,无毛视频� Salvucci said. 无毛视频淪he is always positive. She无毛视频檚 always encouraging of others. Even though she dominates, she never makes it about her. That无毛视频檚 what I love about her. She doesn无毛视频檛 get mad, she doesn无毛视频檛 get upset. She realizes there are five other people on the court and they have to work together as a team.
无毛视频淚t无毛视频檚 really been inspiring to watch her. She无毛视频檚 grown physically and maturity-wise. She无毛视频檚 starting to plan her future now and she无毛视频檚 aware of the seriousness of that. I know playing D-I was a dream of hers and I无毛视频檓 so happy for her. She deserves this.
无毛视频淪he无毛视频檚 a great player and a great person.无毛视频�