Upstate Volleyball Signs Local Product McAvoy
11/19/2010 12:00:00 AM | Women's Volleyball
Spartanburg, S.C. – USC Upstate head coach Jennifer Calloway typically has a roster filled with players from across the Eastern and Midwestern parts of the country. For her first signee of the year, she only had to go a few miles down the road as Boiling Springs High School standout Kayla McAvoy has signed a national letter of intent during the early signing period to play volleyball for the Spartans next year.
McAvoy played both the middle and outside hitter positions for head coach Allyson Elliott at Boiling Springs. She is also a member of Club South. She was a five-time letterwinner for Boiling Springs and served as team captain the last two seasons. She is a member of the North All-Star team and is representing the team this weekend at the North-South All-Star Game. She finished her senior season with 208 kills, 234 digs, 68 aces and 59 total blocks.
"We have been recruiting Kayla for quite some time now, so we were so ecstatic to hear she was coming to Upstate," said Calloway. "She is an amazing young talent right here in our own back yard. We feel very fortunate to have a high quality, yet local athlete stay among us in the Upstate to showcase her talent.
"From the first moment I met Kayla, I knew she would fit right in with our team. Our team is close. The team chemistry is something I would want for my own child. These girls are caring, fun-loving and have a strong work ethic on and off the court. They are competitors and very bright in the classroom. Kayla is all those things. Her sweet smile, great leaping ability and quickness on the court will help take our program to the next level."
McAvoy has earned several individual honors in her time on the court at Boiling Springs. She is a three-time Region II-4A All-Region selection and earned all-area honors from the Spartanburg Herald-Journal as a junior. She was named the Bulldogs' Offensive Player of the Year in 2006 and 2010 and also received the team's Hustle Award in 2007.
She has been a solid player throughout her high school career. She finished her career with 961 kills, 821 digs, 191 aces and 254 solo blocks. She has totaled 777 kills, 569 digs and 147 aces the last three seasons, and averaged 12 kills per match in 2010.
McAvoy played in the Junior Olympic National Tournament in 2009 and is a three-year member of the Club South Top National team, serving as a leader in 2010.
In addition to her prowess on the volleyball court, she is also a standout in the classroom at Boiling Springs. She carries a 3.79 GPA and is a member of the National Honor Society and National Beta Club. She earned membership in the National Tech Honor Society and the People to People Leadership organization. She has also involved in several school organizations including the Senior Board, Muse Machine, Booster Club, CSI Club and Spanish Club.
"Kayla is a dynamic player on the court," said Upstate assistant coach Ashley Stathas who has also coached McAvoy in the Club South organization. "She has tons of energy and is a lot of fun to watch. Her speed and quickness is going to play a big role against our competition in the A-Sun. She is a very focused, motivated and hard working athlete who loves to compete. I believe that Kayla will have a very successful career here at USC Upstate and I am very excited to see the contributions that she will make to this wonderful team."
