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Sports
Page 7 • Wednesday, September 9, 1998
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BY ABBY LITTLE
The Battalion
ike mother, like daughter. Gayle Bayes
convinced her daughter, junior mid-
idle blocker Amber Woolsey, to give
volleyball a chance her freshman year in
high school.
Bayes played volleyball for Texas
Woman’s University and North Texas State
University. Her team at TWU placed sec
ond in the 1973 AIAW national champi
onship tournament. Woolsey obviously in
herited her mother’s ability.
When Woolsey graduated from high
school, she was named one of the top 50
high school recruits in the nation by Vol
leyball Magazine.
“My mom pushed me my freshman
year [to play volleyball], because there are
more chances to pursue a career,” Woolsey
said. “She used to take me to the gym and
hit balls at me. She still gives me advice,
which is nice.”
Coach Laurie Corbelli says that Woolsey
has a lot of competency in her position.
“She has a big responsibility going from
antenna to antenna, which is about 30 feet
wide, blocking the opponent,” Corbelli said.
Woolsey had her best season last year
when she set three career-high records
with 16 kills and 15 digs against Oral
Roberts University and 11 block assists
against No. 23 Colorado.
Woolsey said she was pleased with her
season.
“I felt a little inexperienced as far as court
time. I was the youngest and there was
some pressure. I felt more confident toward
the end,” Woolsey said. “I felt like I had to
hold my own last year, I didn’t want to be
the weak link. ”
The confidence at the end of the season
must have paid off, because she was
named the team’s Most Improved Player.
Woolsey ranked ninth in the Big 12 for
blocking averages.
She picked it up at the end of the regu
lar season when she hit .405, averaged 3.40
kills, 1.65 blocks and 2.08 digs per game in
the last five matches of the regular season.
Woolsey ranks second in the A&M record
books with 131 block assists and ninth in to
tal blocks with 145,which she set in a single
season. In Big 12 matches she had a .286 hit
ting efficiency, which also ranked second on
the team.
“I looked up to the team
last year, and this year I
am able to give back
that experience”
— Amber Woolsey
Texas A&M junior middle blocker
Last year Woolsey was the youngest
starter on a team consisting of veterans.
This year she is one of two returning
starters, which puts her in a leadership
position.
She likes her position as a leader be
cause she looked up to her older, more ex
perienced teammates last year.
“I like it. I’ve wanted to take on the role,
and I feel that the freshmen can look up to
me,” Woolsey said. “I looked up to the
team last year, and this year I am able to
give back that experience.”
Senior outside hitter Stacey Sykora
said the team looks to Woolsey because
she is the returning middle blocker, has
court experience and brings lots of ener
gy to the team.
“Her enthusiasm is her main asset and
probably her competitiveness [also],”
Sykora said. “She always wants to be in
and you know she is going to be there
every game. After she hits, she always says
‘Get off Me’, which pumps us up.”
Corbelli said she thinks Woolsey will be
a good leader with her experience and
confidence.
“She handled her first year really, really
well,” Corbelli said. “She needed that first
year under her belt. Her experience shows,
[and] if she carries herself with confidence,
it’ll catch on to the newer players.”
Woolsey was named to the all-tourna
ment team this past weekend at the Uni
versity of Pacific/Nike Tournament.
She recorded 10 kills and led the team
with a .286 hitting percentage in the
championship game, which the Aggies
lost to Pacific.
Even though the volleyball team is
young, Woolsey said she feels they have the
athleticism to compete in the Big 12.
“We’re young, but very athletic,”
Woolsey said. “I don’t think that we are
lacking in any way, in any position. We
have a lot of depth.”
As a part of the United States 20-and-un-
der team, Woolsey was able to travel to
Montemonaco, Italy to play in a tourna
ment. There were 16 teams from Europe
and this was the first time the U.S. was in
vited to attend.
Sykora said she can tell a difference in
the way Woolsey plays because of her ex
tra practice in Italy.
“I can already tell an improvement.
She’s awesome,” Sykora said.
In the future Woolsey would like to play
professional volleyball in Europe. She said
she would love to try out for the Olympics
if given the opportunity.
M Volleyball Team. Woolsey was named the team’s Most Improved Player.
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