Surry Central senior Jaylyn Templeton will continue her volleyball career at Greensboro College after officially signing her NCAA National Letter of Intent.
“I’m excited,” Templeton said. “I really didn’t know if it would happen, but I found the perfect place to finally go. I’m just overall excited to go on to the next level.”
She said college volleyball has always been her goal, and that she was pushed to be the very best version of herself by her high school coaches – Brittany Tolbert and Carrie Bruce – as well as her Junior Olympic coach Chuck Morris.
“I started by playing rec ball, then when I got into middle school all my coaches really had a lot of expectations for me,” Templeton said. “I started to just love it and I wanted to go and play somewhere.”
Templeton has been a cornerstone of the Surry Central volleyball program the past four years, playing in more than 300 sets. These weren’t just any seasons either; Surry Central won at least 72% of games in 2019, 2020-21 and fall 2021, went to the 2A State Playoffs each of the past four seasons and made back-to-back Sweet 16 appearances her sophomore and junior years.
“Jaylyn, in the position that she has been in as a setter, plays a very crucial role in the success of a volleyball team,” Bruce said.
Templeton’s journey to becoming a college setter is not one she could’ve predicted when she walked into Surry Central High School in 2018.
“If you asked her as a freshman if she enjoyed that position she would certainly so no, so she has grown and overcome a lot in her high school career,” Bruce said. “Really stepping into those setter shoes and excelling in that position. She’s done a lot for our team in just the two years that I have seen her and had the privilege of coaching her.
“Even during the COVID year she was just that steady force for us. It was just the expectation that it was going to be there and it was going to be right. She filled those shoes, she’s done very well and I’m very proud of her for taking it to the next level. I think she will be very successful.”
Templeton graduates with 887 assists, with 412 of those coming this past season. She also accumulated 824 digs, 49 blocks and 191 serving aces
In addition to serving as setter, Templeton doubled as an outside hitter her sophomore and senior seasons. She was second on the team in kills both of those seasons, finishing with a career total 497 kills on 1,520 attacks.
Templeton, along with fellow class of 2022 members Katelyn Patterson, Carlee Jones, Mia McMillen and Lainey Smith, graduate as one of the most successful classes in Surry Central history, and Templeton said she wouldn’t want to do it anywhere else but here.
“We’ve grown up together. This whole school is a very loving community. Everyone knows each other, it’s just a great place to be. Everyone celebrates each other’s accomplishments and everything like that.
“I want to thank Coach Bruce, Coach Tolbert and Coach Morris; they’ve all been big impacts in my volleyball career. I also want to thank my family and friends.”
Source: https://www.mtairynews.com
Be First to Comment