Moments ago, she was screaming “Praying” by Kesha in the locker room. Now, sophomore Rylee Gray stands with her team in front of a packed blue and gold crowd. In a few months, she’ll step onto this court as a varsity basketball starter. But right now, she’s not thinking about that- only the volleyball game ahead. She’s confident; this is her natural environment. And colleges have noticed this. Over 80 college recruiters have picked up on Gray’s potential, evident already when she set the school record for blocks as a freshman.

“Number 14 at 6’4”… sophomore Ryleeeeee Grayyyy” She steps out to the cheering crowd and waves. This is her time.

Sophomore Rylee Gray has no off season as a multi-sport varsity athlete in volleyball, basketball, and track. Out of playing tennis, swim, basketball, and volleyball when younger, only the latter have stayed with Gray from ten years old to a sophomore at South .

“Volleyball was obviously my number one priority going into freshman year and making varsity,” Gray said. “And then basketball and track were a nice addition too.”

Going into freshman year, Gray did not expect to play both basketball and to high jump in track at the varsity level. She claims her height is what gave her the original advantage over her peers, but now recognizes the hard work necessary to stay on top.

“I was really happy that I did make varsity for all three of them, but I knew I couldn’t just stop working, so I just had to keep being motivated.”

Reflected in Gray’s tendency to go all-in on board games against her sister, her competitive spirit continuously fuels Gray’s motivation.

“I just have such a competitive drive that keeps me in playing everything and not wanting to lose and just getting better every day,” Gray said.

From game nights at the house to game nights on the court, Gray’s parents, little sister, and grandparents continue to push Gray as her “number one supporters” by cheering her on and attending every game.

Watching Gray play makes up for the missed time at home that goes into training for volleyball. Volleyball’s high commitment level can take away from Gray’s time with family, as the high school activity necessitates long weekend tournaments, two summer camps, workouts three times a week, and practice every day. However, Gray hopes the work will go toward her future goal of playing volleyball professionally and ultimately in the Olympics.

She is already on that path, as Gray has committed to University of Nebraska’s highly decorated volleyball team, which has the most wins of any other women’s volleyball program.

“In the volleyball world, committing early is just the norm,” Gray said. “There’s eighth graders that have already committed. They obviously don’t know what they want, but I do know what I want. I’ve had plenty of time to think about it because they offered me a year before I actually committed there… It ultimately came down to if I want to stay close to home, and the crowd there is absolutely insane.”

The volleyball college recruitment process has led Gray to grow “a love and a passion for the game.” Gray’s volleyball preference also influences the feelings Gray has right before stepping onto the court on game night.

“I’m just more comfortable playing volleyball, and I’ve done it literally forever, so I’m just so used to it that I just go out and I do what I do,” Gray said. “[For] basketball I don’t know why I really get nervous [before games], but it’s not bad, it’s just before big games, which is understandable.”

While she and her family believe that volleyball is her best performance out of all three sports, one of Gray’s volleyball coaches only sees continued potential.

“I just hope that she keeps growing and pushing herself and pushing everyone around her,” Coach Potter said.

Gray’s “vital” ability to both make others laugh and to push other teammates to work harder are two important roles she has as captain. Last year Gray was one of two freshman on the varsity team. This year, Gray, with the rest of the team, takes on the role of acting like a “big sister” to the three freshman on varsity.

“I think they’ve all done a good job of doing that, and her just knowing what it’s like [to be a freshman] and being supportive,” freshman Maddi Woodin said.

This support goes both ways, as each teammate understands the importance of encouraging one another, both on the court and in day to day life.

“Volleyball is not an individual sport,” Gray said. “You have to rely on your team. You can’t play 6 v 1. It has to be all 6 v all 6. So I think applying that to your life, how you can’t just go through life doing everything on your own, you are going to need people behind you and supporting you.”

For Gray, this support comes into play when she faces her biggest struggle: self-confidence.

“Some days I’m just in moods where I’m like ‘wow, I feel like I’m the worst player in the world,’ but other times certain plays will boost my confidence, and then I’ll get back in the groove,” Gray said. “It’ll happen just like that. Or I’ll just positively talk to myself and know that I can do it.”
Gray’s positivity is one of her strengths that she utilizes as a captain.

“She’s growing into becoming a really strong leader, and with her leadership role she is pushing her teammates really hard, and she can always put a smile on everybody’s face, which is great,” Potter said.

Gray has numerous memories and accomplishments as being a multi sport athlete. The extremely close state volleyball game against Gretna, the district basketball game against Elkhorn, and the personal record of 5 feet in the high jump all stand out in Gray’s mind as her favorite moments from her athletic career during freshman year. However, Gray tries to model after her grandpa- who never talks about his multitude of achievements- to always stay humble.

“Yeah, you are going to achieve a lot, but you just have to be humble through it all,” Gray said. “It’s just you want to be a better person than an athlete.”