On June 9, rising senior Ava Gaspard announced her commitment to play volleyball at Binghamton University via Instagram.
Although Gaspard has not been playing volleyball for a long time, she instantly fell in love and improved at a quick level. “I started playing volleyball in eighth grade under Coach Cabrales, who really fueled my love for the game,” Gaspard said. Since discovering her passion, she plays club volleyball for Sideout Sports.
“This will be my fifth year playing volleyball with Ava and I’ve seen her grow in so many ways,” said rising senior and co-captain Emelia Dengler. “Over the years, she has become a natural leader and a go-to player on the court. She leads with intensity, and you can always count on her to guide us to success.”
During her past seasons at WHS, she received 2024 offensive player of the year, won conference first team, junior first team and all group first team, and won sectionals and counties in 2023. She also prides herself in being a member of the top two percent in the state for attacking. Gaspard hopes to bring her competitiveness and strength to her senior season and the collegiate level.
Binghamton University is located in Binghamton, NY with around 14,400 undergraduate students. It is a part of the State University of New York system, and is known for its strong academic reputation and value. Binghamton University competes at the Division I level in the America East Conference.
“When I got on campus, I immediately connected with the coaches, players and what they had to offer academically as someone wanting to major in biology,” said Gaspard.
Dengler is confident that Gaspard will be an outstanding addition to Binghamton’s program. “Her fun energy and dedication to the game will no doubt bring the team to a new level,” Dengler said. “She is definitely going to stand out, both as a player and a leader”.
Gaspard is eager to compete in her last season at WHS. “We’re hoping to win a county championship and state championship this year,” Gaspard said. “My personal goal is to break the all time high school kill record at WHS.” With Gaspard’s previous success and contributions to the team, she is confident that she can close out her athletic career at WHS with a bang.
