She looks to all of her teammates as they prepare for the upcoming game. The team has a dance party to shake out all of the nervousness and she jumps around encouraging all her teammates to dance with her. Once on the court, the refs blow the whistle and the team looks to her to lead the warmup. The warmups end and the team stands in a line ready to shake hands. Since she is number one, she is always the first one to shake hands with the refs and always cheers on while watching the rest of her team.  The team comes together one last time and she smiles in full confidence of the abilities of her team.

Senior Dylan Gilkey is a four year varsity volleyball player who will continue her academic and athletic career as a collegiate volleyball player at the University of the Pacific in Stockton, California. This year, Gilkey has said that as a team captain she has had to become more of a leader this past season in hopes of setting an example for all of the underclassmen.

“As a team captain, it was amazing to see us come together and beat Rouse because they were number one in district,” Gilkey said. “It was the greatest feeling and the after celebration photo will always be ingrained in my mind. Everyone was so happy and we all came into it ready to execute knowing we have a job to do. It was great competitive volleyball and it was great she everyone’s growth this year.”

Gilkey was a starter since her freshman year on the varsity volleyball team, and as a setter her senior season, she helped lead the volleyball team to third place in district and to playoffs. In her high school career, she  had 3,475 assists, 202 kills,1,104 digs and has played 461 sets, according to MaxPreps.

“My freshman year I definitely looked up to all of the leaders who were there,” Gilkey said. “I kind of just took what they did and put my own spin on it. I was always shy my freshman year and I was definitely more of a follower than a leader. But then as I became an upperclassman, I got more confidence in myself and knew that it’s important to lead and it makes a difference for sure.”

She currently plays at the club organization called Austin Junior Volleyball for their top 18s team. On the top team, a player is given a contract to sign and players are expected to travel to tournaments, both in and out of state, and attend all practices from the end of school season up to April. She has said that throughout the years of playing club volleyball and school volleyball, she has been able to learn more about how to be a leader and has gotten better at time management.

“I think I found ways to lead through connections with my teammates and leading by example,” Gilkey said. “To juggle school, responsibilities and volleyball, I had to figure out how to manage my time and prioritize my goals to be successful.”

According to Gilkey, the best lesson she has learned from playing volleyball is the real life skills that she has developed throughout her four year high school career. In addition to time management, she said she has learned how to deal with responsibilities, and when working with others, taking their opinions into mind. She said she will keep developing her skills of leadership and how to handle responsibilities as a collegiate player.

“The recruiting process was so, so, so frustrating, but it was very rewarding at the same time,” Gilkey said. “You get told no quite a bit, and that’s just something you have to deal with in all areas of your life. I was committed for a whole year to a school that I was super excited about, but last minute there was a coaching change, which was super scary because I didn’t know what I wanted to do and I knew that I had to have other options. Then I found a place that is perfect for me”

At the University of the Pacific, she will continue her education while also playing D1 volleyball, and will major in sports management analytics. In the future, she not only hopes to learn about sports management, but she also hopes to pursue business. She says that she will forever hold onto the lessons that she has learned throughout her years playing school volleyball.

“It goes by super fast so take each moment and appreciate it,” Gilkey said. “Appreciate the friends because before you know it, you are gone and leaving after lunch. It is bittersweet, but definitely appreciate what you have. Being a part of the volleyball team has been a monumental part of my identity for four years. I have earned so many strong relationships through this sport and program, so it means a lot to me.”