December 03, 2006
NaplesNews.com
By Jason A. Dixon (Contact)
Tuesday, October 24, 2006
Gulf Coast senior Sarah Gildersleeve, who has led the volleyball team to a school-record 21 wins while shattering the school record in kills, was named Athlete of the Month by National Collegiate Scouting Association, based in Chicago.
Gildersleeve was selected from the association's national client base of over 10,000 student-athletes. Gulf Coast coach Dale Hutcherson wanted Gildersleeve to sign up with the association so she would get noticed by college scouts.
"It's difficult to get people matched up with the level that they play when those schools aren't local," Hutcherson said. "So, basically, what those services do is they kind of match up the athletes with the colleges that would be interested in them, so that they find each other."
Since Gildersleeve has signed up with the service, Hutcherson said she has received around 20 letters from colleges expressing interest. Some of the schools include Florida State, Duke and North Carolina State, which has expressed the most interest, Hutcherson said.
On the season, Gildersleeve has 390 kills; she set a school record with 32 in last Wednesday's win over Barron Collier in the Class 5A-District 15 semifinals.
Last year, the 6-foot weak-side hitter, was named the Sharks' co-MVP and earned first-team all-region honors. Gulf Coast won the volleyball program's first Collier County Athletic Conference championship and district title.
The Sharks make their first appearance in the regional quarterfinals against St. Thomas Aquinas today at 5 p.m.
