Star vikings take college

Elizabeth Gross: Volleyball Elizabeth Gross (’19) has officially committed to Campbell University in North Carolina. The senior has an academic scholarship to the university and will be attending next fall. Since she was in the fifth grade, Gross loved the sport of volleyball and joined a club team while in the seventh grade. She is now the starting libero on Samo’s varsity squad.Gross committed to Campbell University over the phone a day after her visit earlier this year. She chose the university for a variety of reasons: family, athletic fortuity and more.  “I wanted to play Division I and had a few options, but Campbell is 40 minutes away from my family and I felt I fit best there. The team was so sweet and they also have a lot of players from Southern California,” Gross said. Overall, Gross is thrilled to attend Campbell University for both their academic and athletic opportunities.Ariana Mattioli: Volleyball Ariana Mattioli (’19) committed to Loyola Marymount University (LMU) in Los Angeles last month. The varsity libero sent LMU highlight reels of her games once a month for six months before committing over the phone with Head Coach Aaron Mansfield. Because her position doesn’t traditionally get scholarship money, Mattioli is a walk on player, meaning she has a secure position on the team even without a scholarship. Despite starting the sport relatively late--her freshman year--Mattioli is very passionate about playing volleyball in college. “Volleyball is by far the most team-oriented sport. After I started playing I just fell in love with it, and I haven’t stopped since!” Mattioli said.Besides her love for volleyball and LMU’s Division I program, Mattioli chose the university due to their beautiful campus and their competitiveness. Daikiara Williams: Soccer Daikiara Williams (’19) was approached by Arizona State University (ASU) this year and is now committed with an athletic scholarship for soccer. Williams plays forward on both Samo’s varsity team and on a club team, the LA Galaxy Academy. The soccer player was introduced to the sport by her father at the age of nine, and has been playing ever since. Williams looks forward to attending ASU for both athletic and academic reasons.At first, Williams was approached by University of North Alabama’s (UNA) Head Coach Graham Winkworth, but she was set on attending a Pac-12 school, which UNA is not.“I’ve always wanted to play Pac-12 soccer, and when Coach Winkworth was offered a job at Arizona he saw me again and contacted my club coach. Arizona also has a great business program, which is something I want to pursue,” Williams said. William admits her family is very proud of her for achieving her dream of playing in a Pac-12 college, especially her father, who played soccer as well.Maya Cooper: SoccerMaya Cooper (’19) has been committed to California State University, Fullerton (CSUF) since her sophomore year. After being noticed by CSUF’s coach in a college showcase and exchanging several emails, Cooper committed in person on CSUF’s campus.“I chose Cal State Fullerton because I want to stay close to home most of all. I’m not too sure about my major yet, but they are a great school for kinesiology, which is something I might consider,” Cooper said. Cooper started playing soccer at the age of five and is currently Samo’s varsity center forward. She says she is 100 percent happy with her decision and excited to attend CSUF. Alex Steigelfest: SoccerAlex Steigelfest (’19) is committed to Syracuse University for soccer. Steigelfest emailed the university and invited them to watch her play at a camp at the school. After seeing her play, the university offered Steigelfest an athletic scholarship. “I wanted to play at a school that was Division I, located on the East Coast and that had a large student body. In addition, they have a great business school,” Steigelfest said. The senior began playing soccer at the age of five when her mother signed her up for the American Youth Soccer Organization (AYSO). By the time her freshman year rolled around, Steigelfest knew she wanted to play the sport collegiately. Next fall, her dream will come true.Sawyer Koetters: Water PoloSamo’s varsity boys’ water polo center defender Sawyer Koetters (’19) committed to the United States Naval Academy last spring. Koetters started playing water polo in the sixth grade after becoming bored as a competitive swimmer. He believes water polo is “the far superior water sport.”The Academy reached out to Koetters during his sophomore year, and he was set on attending by the start of his junior year. The water polo player chose the Academy for many different reasons.  “It’s a great engineering school and I’ll be given the opportunity to serve my country. Plus, they have excellent Division I water polo,” Koetters said. The US Naval Academy is funded by the Department of Defense, meaning Koetters’ education will be free. After he graduates from the school, he will be required to serve in the Navy or the Marines for a minimum of five years. Lauren Gaudry: Water Polo Lauren Gaudry (’19) committed to Indiana University in Bloomington (IUB) this October. Gaudry is Samo’s varsity girls’ water polo center defender and has been playing water polo for six years. While attending a water polo camp at Washington and Jefferson College last summer, Gaudry was approached by IUB’s Head Coach Ryan Castle. After watching one of her tournaments, Castle asked Gaudry to consider the school and take a virtual tour of the school. “I loved the way the campus looked and so we kept talking. It has my major, I fell in love with the campus and the coaches and girls on the team are all very nice,” Gaudry said. Gaudry will be studying Political Science and majoring in Pre-law while at IUB. She was offered an athletic scholarship to the university and officially signed the National Letter of Intent (NLI) on Nov. 15.Caleb Downing: Baseball Caleb Downing (’19) is committed to Wheaton College in Chicago, Ill. After visiting the campus earlier this year, the varsity pitcher knew the college was right for him. “I just had this feeling when I walked on campus. The coaches and players were so genuine,” Downing said. After Downing’s visit, Samo’s baseball coach, Adam Klein, called Wheaton’s coach to set up an offer for the player. Klein sent the college a game tape and they gave an offer solely based on the video. Downing began playing baseball at the age of four with his twin brother and his childhood friends. Unfortunately, he hasn’t played for Samo since February, due to a torn labrum on the first day of last season. Nonetheless, Downing looks forward to playing for Wheaton next year.