Student-Athlete of the Week: Zoe Gibbs

Playing NCAA Division I college volleyball has long been a dream for Niwot senior Zoe Gibbs and, after three impressive seasons as a varsity middle for the Cougars, one clearly within her reach. Unfortunately for the versatile Gibbs, her optimum recruiting period coincided with the Covid-19 pandemic, making an already fraught process even more of a headache. But Gibbs didn't let the hassle derail her plans, and after months of patiently making highlight videos and sending out emails to coaches, her persistence paid off with an offer from the University of Northern Colorado-one she didn't think twice about accepting.

"I've been talking with UNC since pretty much day one, they've always been towards the top of my list," the six-foot hitter said. "And once the dead period was lifted, in June of this past year, UNC came to a UAAs [Under Armour All-America], which was nationals in Florida. They came and watched me, and then after that they offered, and I did a visit, and decided it was where I wanted to go."

Gibbs verbally committed to the Bears on July 15, joining a recruiting class of six. She expects to play middle, though also said she can be "as flexible as possible," if that's what the team needs. Before deciding on UNC, she was also communicating with coaches from the University of Arkansas, University of Missouri-Kansas City, West Point, and CSU, and given the obstacles brought on by the pandemic, it's a process she's happy to have behind her.

"It's such a relief," she said. "I've been working towards this for so long...I think it makes things a lot less stressful going into my senior season."

Gibbs' senior season officially got underway on Aug. 25, with a memorable performance against the Mead Mavericks, the 2020-21 season Class 4A runner-up. Gibbs' led the offensive charge for Niwot in the 3-1 win, ending the night with 13 kills, seven aces, and eight digs-exactly the type of game Cougars' head coach Daisha Agho was expecting to see from the standout during her fourth and final season with the team.

"I knew there was something special about her the minute I saw her step into my gym," Agho recalled of Gibbs' freshman tryouts in 2018. "Her athleticism outshone any freshman that I had come in that year. And as she's continued to impress me every single year with her work ethic, I'm so excited to see this senior year of hers."

It will be hard to top her junior season, even if it was an abbreviated one. In 13 regular season games, she posted 151 kills, which was third overall in the Longs Peak League, and top 20 in Class 4A. After the season, she was named All-State Honorable Mention by CHSAA, the only Cougar to make the list. For that and more, Agho said that UNC "is very lucky to have her," and believes the athletic Gibbs will make an impact on the team right away.

"I have no doubt that kid is going to go places," Agho said. "I'm proud of her for staying true to herself, and just knowing what she wanted and how to go after it. And, the fact that she finally got what she needed and wanted, I think she totally deserves everything that's coming her way."

The season-opener against Mead also went according to Gibbs' plan, but she said her goals for this season are more team than personally oriented. First and foremost, she is hoping to lead Niwot back to the Class 4A state tournament, after failing to qualify for the past two years. But after dealing with the adversity of the 2020-21 season, she knows it will take more than a great performance on the court to get her team back to contention.

"We've really got to take it one game and one practice at a time, and really focus on the fundamentals and just work hard and stay focused," she said. "I just want to try to be a good leader for my team, even when things get tough. COVID is still an unknown here, and we don't know if we're going to be quarantined, or what's going to happen. So I just want to try to be someone that people can look to if things are not going well."

In the classroom, Gibbs is balancing a mix of AP and IB classes, and especially enjoys psychology with Mrs. Yazzie. In fact, it's a subject she plans to study at UNC, though she isn't sure what career path she might take. She is also involved in Niwot's National Honor Society, and plays club volleyball as well.

When she's not on the court or studying, Gibbs enjoys cooking, a skill she started exploring in elementary school, after watching an episode of "Chopped" with her mom.