Sarah Drury Named to USA Volleyball Team
January 03, 2003 | Women's Volleyball
Jan. 3, 2003
The smallest player on the University of Louisville's volleyball team is about to take the biggest step of any player in Cardinal history. Senior Sarah Drury, U of L's libero, will join the USA Volleyball team at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colo. Jan. 29.
Drury, who set the season and game record for digs this year for the Cardinals,had been invited to try-out for the team in New Orleans during the NCAA Volleyball's Final Four in December. She will stay in Colorado Springs for four to five months playing and training for head coach Toshi Yoshita.
"I knew she would make it," said U of L head coach Leonid Yelin, who was there for most of the tryout. "She is simply too good not to. I watched her tryout and after Saturday the head coach was very complimentary about her. No one even came close to her."
The five foot-five Drury began her career as a walk-on player from Louisville's Pleasure Ridge Park High School and ended her career as a scholarship player, team captain and a widely respected libero.
"This is a chance of a lifetime and I am not passing it up," said Drury. "I am very excited to take the next step. I was a little nervous in tryouts, but Coach Yelin was there helping me and telling me I was doing great and that gave me a lot of confidence."
Drury plans on spending the rest of this month in intense training so she will arrive in Colorado Springs in mid-season form. Senior associate athletic director Julie Hermann, a former assistant coach for the USA National team, will help advise her on where to focus her energies.
"We all know Sarah's work ethic and when she sets goals she not only makes them, she exceeds them," said Yelin. "We are very proud of her and she will continue to help project a wonderful image of U of L volleyball to the world."
