The celebration of the nation’s best in volleyball shined a spotlight on Prosper, Texas — where a confetti-filled surprise awaited the 2023-24 Gatorade National Volleyball Player of the Year, Ayden Ames.
Ames, a 6-foot-4 attacker who is headed to the University of Texas next year, thought she was showing up at her high school for a photoshoot.
Simple enough.
But one “Gatorade Dunk” later, the future Longhorn learned that she was the recipient of the prestigious Gatorade honor, which includes a roster of past winners who have combined for 91-plus gold medals and 13 National Championships on the volleyball court.
Former Gatorade National Players of the Year Averi Carlson and Harper Murray surprised Ames with the trophy at her high school surrounded by her family, coaches and teammates.
WHAT. A. MOMENT.
Prosper’s Ayden Ames is surprised with the news that she has been named the Gatorade National Volleyball Player of the Year pic.twitter.com/0NNHqICHbU
— Mike Leslie (@MikeLeslieWFAA) January 9, 2024
Joining Hall of Famers like April Ross and Kerri Walsh Jennings, Ames was selected from over half a million other student-athletes. And her high school career showcased that she was more than worthy of such an achievement.
The nation’s No. 3 recruit ended her run at Prosper with 1,594 kills, 312 total blocks, and 96 aces in three varsity seasons.
Chris Tobolski, chief editor at Vballrecruiter, summed it up best:
“Ayden Ames is a force whether she’s front or back row,” said Tobolski in an email statement. “She’s a dynamic attacker who not only puts tremendous pressure on defenses, she opens up the rest of the offense for her teammates because she draws so much of opponents’ attention. With the experience she has playing middle blocker, she adds another wrinkle because she’s that rare outside who can run slide attacks. Just look at what she did against the eventual Texas 6A state champion in the postseason, when she recorded a season-high 27 kills—what further proof could you want that she’s arguably the best player in the Class of 2024?”
To that on-court dominance, Ames also demonstrated the type of community leadership that make Gatorade’s athletes so unique, having volunteered locally for women’s and pet shelters and participated in the “Heal The Bay” coastal clean-up in Manhattan Beach, Calif.
Also a member of her school’s Fellowship of Christian Athletes chapter, Ames tutored and mentored a young boy with brittle bone disease, while she maintained a 3.9 GPA in the classroom.
Overall, it’s easy to see why her name was added to the legendary list of volleyball athletes.
“Of the half a million student athletes who play volleyball nationwide, Ayden stood out for her dedication to excelling as a student-athlete,” said Gatorade president and general manager Michael Del Pozzo in a statement. “Not only did she have a phenomenal season, but her resume off the court made her a clear choice for Gatorade National Volleyball Player of the Year.”
(Photo courtesy of Gatorade)
