VB | Wilkerson Makes Saint Mary's Dream Come True
10/22/2015 12:00:00 AM | Women's Volleyball
MORAGA, Calif. — Don't tell Madi Wilkerson that dreams don't come true.
Wilkerson, a native of Midlothian, Texas, arrived on the campus of Saint Mary's College as a wide-eyed 14-year-old in her first trip to California, ready to participate in her first Gaels volleyball camp. It did not take her long to figure out – this was her dream place where she wanted to be.
I think the first thing for me was seeing that it was a small school and I knew from the beginning that I wanted to (be a part of a) smaller school, a smaller program," said Wilkerson about her choice. "I'm definitely glad that I did it because my experience here has been a great one. I love the coaching staff, I love my teammates and I love the school, so it's really nice."
Wilkerson was so impressed that she would return to California for volleyball camp twice more before graduating high school and coming to Saint Mary's for good.
I looked forward to it every summer," said Wilkerson. "It was my favorite thing to be able to come out here every year."
But she wasn't the only one that was impressed.
I was impressed with Madi from the outset," said Saint Mary's head coach Rob Browning. "She came highly recommended from one of my former assistant coaches and her mindset and skill level when she attended our summer camps was outstanding. She's very mature when it comes to working hard and making improvements in her game. She has a very businesslike approach to her development as a volleyball player and as a teammate, and knows how to combine that with having fun and loving playing the game."
Saint Mary's at San Francisco |
Thursday, October 22, 2015 • 7 p.m. (PT) |
| MATCH NOTES: Saint Mary's leads the all-time series versus the Dons, 36-24 ... The Gaels have won 9 of the last 12 meetings between the two teams ... SMC is 4-3 in San Francisco against the Dons since 2008 ... Only four matches between SMC and USF have gone five sets since 2000. The Gaels are 1-3 in those matches. |
Wilkerson and the Gaels face two West Coast Conference Bay Area rivals on the road this week when they travel to San Francisco for a 7 p.m. match Thursday and to Santa Clara for a 1 p.m. match Saturday. Both matches will be streamed live at no charge on a variety of platforms via GaelVision on SMCGaels.com. The site's Matchday Central page includes live video, links to ticket sales and live statistics and a feed from the athletic department's official Twitter account (@SMCGaels).
This season Wilkerson has become the Gaels' starting libero and leads the team with 261 digs. She is one of three regular starting sophomores that are providing leadership for a young team that includes 10 underclassmen.
Being a libero is a really nice role to be able to take up as a sophomore," said Wilkerson. "It's a lot of responsibility but I'm really glad to be able to have the opportunity to do it."
Madi was good when she came here as a freshman, but she clearly made a huge leap over the summer and it was noticeable the first day of practice in August," added Browning. "She is still growing in her role as libero, asserting herself more and taking charge in certain situations on the court. I've told her many times, ‘The sky's the limit.' She has everything she needs to be one of the best liberos we've ever had and one of the best the West Coast Conference has ever seen."
Saint Mary's returns home on Oct. 29, for a 7 p.m. WCC match against Loyola Marymount. Single match, group and specially priced team ticket packages are available by visiting the tickets link on SMCGaels.com or by calling the SMC Athletic Ticket Office at (925) 631-GoTx (4689).
FOLLOW ALONG
For up-to-date news, photos, videos and other features you can follow Saint Mary's College varsity athletic teams on Twitter (@SMCGaels), Instagram (@SMCGaels) and Facebook Facebook.com/SMCGaels. You can also watch great video on-demand highlights and features as well as most Gaels sporting events live via GaelVision on SMCGaels.com.
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Players Mentioned
Libero
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