The Lancer Way: Elizabeth Gilley
11/14/2019 1:15:00 PM | Women's Volleyball, The Lancer Way
All of the words are their own.
The Lancer Way is a new platform provided by California Baptist University's Athletic Department that allows student-athletes to share their stories.
The Lancer Way is a new platform provided by California Baptist University's Athletic Department that allows student-athletes to share their stories.
Written By: Elizabeth Gilley, Volleyball, Dallas, Texas
I haven't always loved competing. This may sound surprising, but it's the truth.
My very first exposure to team sports came when I was four-years old and my mom signed me up for a preschool soccer league. Although I loved to play in practice, I chose to never play in games out of fear that I'd mess up and parents would yell at me. This sounds silly, considering it was preschool and obviously no one would yell at me even if I were terrible, but I wasn't so convinced at the time.
I was a team captain and cheered hard at every game, but whenever my coach would plead with me to play, I quickly declined. I didn't play the entire season until our very last game with two minutes on the clock. From my usual stakeout at midfield, I called over to my mom and whispered that I wanted to play. I was immediately subbed in and had the entire sideline of parents cheering for me. My friend passed me the ball and I scored right away.
Ever since that game, I have been all about sports. I played every single sport that was available to me growing up, which in Dallas, Texas is just about every sport there is.
While I enjoyed them all and played at a fairly competitive level in each, I certainly gravitated toward basketball right out of the gate. Basketball taught me my first understanding of important things like teamwork and work ethic, and even more tangible skills like footwork and strength on the court.
When I finally decided to start playing volleyball in middle school, I had no plans to give up basketball. The more I played, however, I realized that I had an obsession with volleyball that I didn't with basketball. My first volleyball was bright blue; I remember spending hours upon hours passing and serving against a brick wall in my backyard, and begging friends to pass with me whenever I could. I wore so many holes in the faux leather of that first blue ball.
Around seventh grade, I realized that if I really wanted to become a great volleyball player and add skill to what was simply passion at the time, I needed to play on a competitive team with an experienced coach. I also knew, however, that in order to play on a club volleyball team I had to give up basketball. I was sad to leave my friends and coaches who I had become so close with over the years of basketball. At the same time, however, I knew that volleyball was simply more fun for me. I had more joy when I played volleyball.
When I was 13, I tried out for two clubs. At the first club I tried out for, I made their fourth team. I knew if I played there, I would get a lot of playing time and be the best player on the team from the start, but I also knew in the back of my mind that I probably wouldn't get much better during the season.
My mom pushed me to try out for one more club. She could tell I didn't want to take a risk and try out for a team where the players were better than me -- that scared me. I didn't want to be the worst one. Per her pleading, I tried out for that other club, the one that scared me. I made the team after a long two days of tryouts, but it wasn't without hesitation.
The coach told me, "I will put you on this team, but I want you to know ahead of time that you'll never touch the court outside of some pool-play matches." I asked my mom to just let me go play with my friends, but she gently insisted that I play for the team where I'd improve most. I begrudgingly agreed and accepted the offer from the second coach.
That club season was one of my favorite that I have ever played. I was asked to forget everything I thought I knew about volleyball and adopt an entirely new foundation of skills. I learned how to correctly pass, set, hit, and read the entire game of volleyball. I also learned about CBU.
One of my coaches, Shea Jenkins, played men's volleyball at CBU. He was the one who urged the head coach to take me onto the team back when I was 13, and he is the one who pushed me toward CBU until I finally visited the school when I was 15.
Coming onto campus for the first time, I got a great first impression after being from Texas and seeing all the palm trees on campus. While I loved the look and feel, I knew CBU was the place for me after meeting Branden and Blair and the girls on the team. Everyone I met on that first visit, both on the team and simply around campus, was extremely welcoming and interested in me, a mere recruit. I was a high schooler from Texas who hadn't even committed to play at CBU, and even still, people went above and beyond.
Much of what I first fell in love with is why I remain here as a senior and feel sad to be leaving in one short year. The volleyball coaching staff has exceeded my expectations; they care for each player personally and truly desire the best for the team and program. I've played with so many amazing women over my four years here, people who I know I'll remain good friends with throughout the years to come.WVB: Building toward 2016, @CBUvolleyball lands 6-rotation OH in Elizabeth Gilley of Texas https://t.co/hDVrTOjGGG pic.twitter.com/vgiIai4XiJ
— CBU Lancers (@CBULancers) December 2, 2015
The entire CBU staff, from athletics to academics to maintenance and everywhere in between, have been extremely supportive and involved. There aren't many schools where a player can look into the crowd at a game and see several of their professors cheering for them when no one is asking them to be there, or where classes lead off with an update on the season. A lot has changed in the six years since I visited campus for the first time, but the best things haven't.
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