Sophomores Acety, Gazani, and Solem Return to Gillette College

GILLETTE COMMUNITY COLLEGE DISTRICT DEPARTMENT OF ATHLETICS  

Julia Machin | Head Women's Volleyball Coach 

Fabiola Acety, Francesca Gazani, and Kinley Solem will be suiting up for their sophomore season at Gillette College this fall! Acety, Gazani, and Solem were three major contributors last season, each leading their respective position statistically. Not only were the three incoming sophomores leaders on the court, but they also were leaders for the Pronghorns off the court! As anticipation grows for the return of the Lady Pronghorns to the court this upcoming fall, we look back on the three sophomores' contributions and successes this past season!

Fabiola Acety was the main setter for the Pronghorns last year, coming to Gillette College from St. Cloud, Florida! Faby came in during preseason ready to put in the work, though she was an undersized setter at only 5 '4, her drive made her play like she's 6' 0. The Florida native had a drive to win and held herself to the highest standard, always locking in everytime she stepped foot into the gym! Acety is also very vocal, she was always hyping up her teammates, holding them accountable, and commanding the court. Her outspokenness is what you look for in a setter and it was exactly what the team was looking for in a captain, voting her into the role quickly! Faby was extremely coachable and quickly learned how to lead the court as a freshman at the college level, leading her to being the sole setter for the Pronghorns shortly into the season. During her freshman year, Acety put up an impressive 566 assists, 217 digs, 25 aces, 15 total blocks, and 13 kills! After an electric freshman season, we are definitely excited to welcome Faby's positive energy, leadership, and work ethic back into the Pronghorn Center for her sophomore season this fall! 

Our next returning sophomore is Francesca Gazani from Lehi, Utah who was the star libero of the inaugural Gillette College volleyball season! If you've had the pleasure of watching Gazani play, you know that she is an electric player who never stops hustling once she steps foot on the court. When she came into preseason last year, she immediately showed us that she had put in the work over summer and was ready to train her hardest to take over the libero position. There was hardly a time when Franny was not in the gym or in the weight room or asking for feedback on her performance, she had an insatiable hunger to get better, to be the absolute best player she could be. Franny was an extremely coachable player who quickly learned how to run the back row and communicate effectively with the front row, leading her to have a phenomenal freshman year. Even after she was hit with an injury, she still contributed a staggering 413 digs, 42 assists, and 21 aces! Throughout the season, Gazani was always in the top 10 in the NJCAA  for digs and digs per set. In early September, Gazani was not only #3 in the nation for digs and digs per set, but she also led the Gillette College team to be #1 in the NJCAA for Digs Per Set! We can't wait to see what Franny will do this year and are extremely excited to have her drive, passion, and positivity back in the gym!

Our final returner is Gillette's own Kinley Solem, who will be suiting up for the Lady Pronghorns again this fall! Solem is a phenomenal student-athlete who held herself to a high standard on and off the court last season. The minute Kinley stepped into the Pronghorn Center for preseason, she was ready to get to work and show us immediately what kind of player she is. Solem was like a sponge, soaking up every ounce of feedback and implementing it immediately into whatever she was doing! The Thunder Basin graduate held herself and her teammates accountable in every aspect, leading them on and off the court. It did not take long for her fellow teammates to recognize what kind of player and person Solem is, quickly voting her into the captain role alongside Acety! Throughout the season, Kinley was in the gym/weight room every day, always asking for feedback, and striving to get better. Solem's work ethic led to her being the leader for the Pronghorns in both kills and total points during her freshman year. During her freshman year as a hitter, Kinley put up 222 kills, 143 digs, 69 total blocks, and 274 total points! After her phenomenal freshman year, we cannot wait to see Kinley's continued growth as a player, leader, and person as she steps onto the court this year. We are excited to welcome Solem's work ethic, passion, leadership, and positive attitude back into the Pronghorn Center!

As we step into preseason, we are eager to have our returners back and see how they lead our incoming freshman this year. The anticipation for preseason to start has been palpable and move-in day could not come fast enough! With talented freshmen coming in and seasoned sophomores leading the team, we have no doubt that this is going to be a fun year. You do not want to miss out on the Lady Pronghorns' return to the court so be sure to check out the schedule for this upcoming season!