Gabby Zgunda
When Delta volleyball player Gabby Zgunda first talked to the coaches from Mississippi State, she found it was easy to develop a rapport. When Zgunda made her visit to the university’s campus in Starkville, Mississippi, she came to like the school even more. Even though Zgunda is in the spring of her sophomore year, she decided to go ahead and take the leap. Zgunda verbally committed to Mississippi State on Thursday.
“I just fell in love with the campus, I fell in love with the coaches. The coaches have great energy, they’re fiery, they’re amazing,” Zgunda said. “And also competition. It’s the SEC, and I want to be as competitive as I can.”
Zgunda said the Bulldog coaching staff told her they envision her playing libero in her college days. She has played defensive specialist in her first two seasons at Delta, and she was second on the Eagles with 362 digs in her sophomore season. Following the graduation of Teaghan Dishman, Delta coach Heidi Zickgraf said Zgunda is expected to move over to the libero position for the Eagles in her junior year.
“When Teaghan was out at the beginning of last season, Gabby stepped in that role and we didn’t miss a beat,” Zickgraf said. “So I’m very confident in her ability to take over that libero position.”
Zickgraf said Zgunda’s work ethic has stood out in her first two seasons in the Delta program.
“She’s just a kid that would do whatever you wanted, whatever it takes to be on the floor,” Zickgraf said. “She’s going to be that first kid in the gym and the last one out, to get better at what she needs to do to help the team. It’s not all about her. She’s not an individual, she’s a team player.”
Zgunda said she also considered Western Kentucky, North Carolina State, Ball State and Miami University. She said committing during her sophomore season was a bit earlier than she envisioned, but once she visited Mississippi State, she decided she was ready. She said having a commitment in place allows her to focus on improvement for her future as a Bulldog, and also for her more recent future playing for her Munciana club team and for Delta, likely as the Eagles’ libero.
“I’m really excited to get started on all that,” Zgunda said.
Contact prep sports reporter Sam Wilson at (765) 213-5807. Follow him on Twitter @SamWilsonTSP.