Senior star Jackson Gilbert: A thousand kills and counting
Evan Harper, Staff Writer
The Crusaders have been the team to beat this season with a strong 12-3 record which is the best in the league.
Senior star #7 Jackson Gilbert has been tearing it up this season after getting his one-thousandth kill against Emmanuel College and maybe even a shot at the player of the year when the season comes to an end.
Gilbert has grown so much as a player since transferring from Coker University after his freshman year.
Image courtesy of NGU Athletics
He came in as a mediocre player on the court, but now he has one of the most powerful strikes in the league.
Head coach Fred Battenfield said, “You know, he was just an average blocker when he got here, and his serves were erratic, but now he’s the best player in the league and should no doubt get player of the year.”
Gilbert’s abilities on the court have been extravagant, and he leads the league in kills.
He knows how to read blocks, hit the ball extremely hard and fully evaluate the court.
Gilbert knows how to be effective in the most powerful way possible, which is what makes him such a difficult player to play against.
Gilbert always makes sure that everyone knows how important the guys are around him that make things happen.
“Nobody is divided into their own friend groups which is such a big factor of being on a college team,” Gilbert said. “No other college team is as close as we are. It’s like a group of 15 of your best friends.”
Gilbert is not only great on the court, but he has been great in so many other ways to the team.
Image courtesy of NGU Athletics
All the players look up to him because they know he has the experience,” Battenfield said. “They actually call him grandpa as a joke”.
Being a fifth year player with experience, everyone on the team learns and listens when Jackson Gilbert is talking.
When someone makes a bad play, Gilbert is there to pick their head up.
If there is a timeout, Gilbert turns into the coach and makes sure everyone knows what their job is.
He is a great leader for the Crusaders on and off the court.
With being a player of the year candidate, Gilbert and the Crusaders look to keep winning this season and bring home some shiny hardware for the North Greenville men’s volleyball program.
Catch the Crusaders in action here.
