National Scouting Report is dedicated to finding scholarship opportunities for athletes who possess the talent, desire, and motivation to compete at the collegiate level. We’ve helped connect thousands of athletes with their perfect college.
If you are ready to take your recruiting to the next level, click the Get Scouted button below to be evaluated by an NSR College Scout.
Get Scouted Scouting Careers
When you talk to Gracie Garanich, you realize she is no ordinary high school student-athlete.
Gracie’s maturity and sophistication in talking about her past, present and future in indoor and sand volleyball instantly catches your attention. The National Scouting Report prospect is quite articulate for a 16-year-old junior. Her words are insightful, confident and reveal someone beyond her years.
“I know for sure that I belong on a college volleyball court,” she exclaimed. “Since the early days of my volleyball career, I have been pushing myself to get better every day. I face challenges thrown my way, and use them to excel my game even further. An example of this is being an age waver. Because of my early birthday, I’ve had to play with girls a year ahead of me, but still I’m a versatile six rotation player for my Cincy Classics team.”
In addition, Gracie carries an impressive 3.95 GPA at Ursuline Academy in Cincinnati, a four-year college-preparatory private girls’ Catholic high school. In her NSR personal message to college coaches, Gracie speaks directly about her approach to her school work.
“I’m extremely focused on my academics. I take rigorous honors and AP courses, and still maintain first honors. I am hoping to find a school that meets both my academic and athletic dreams,” she commented.
A 5-foot-11 outside hitter, Gracie is equally impressive in indoor and sand volleyball. With an approach touch of 9-4, she is a formidable front-row player.
“Gracie has a quick whip, great timing and is a versatile player able to swing as outside hitter, opposite or middle blocker,” Sheila Thiery, NSR’s area director for Southwest Ohio and Northern Kentucky, wrote in Gracie’s scouting report. “She has nice body awareness and control. She swings aggressively with confidence and has a heavy hand from the back row. Gracie posseses nice lateral movement and very good ball control, which allow for all offensive options. An all-out hustler on the ball, she doesn’t give up on errant passes. Gracie keeps her head in the game and has positive energy and fire on the court.”
Gracie’s positive attitude has influenced her game in a number of ways.
“Volleyball has helped me on and off the court with my communication and leadership skills,” Gracie said. “I am known for my positive attitude and big smile, which I believe shows a lot on the court in my fiery personality. Even with a smile on my face, I am always determined to win and strive to be a great teammate and leader on the court. As my dad always tells me, ‘Winners want the ball.’ I always play with this in my mind.”
Adding sand volleyball to her resume has made Gracie a multi-dimensional prospect.
“Gracie is an accomplished sand player, finishing in the Top 10 five times in national sand tournaments,” Thiery noted. “She finished Top 10 in the prestigious 18u Gulf Shores Sand Volleyball Tournament this past summer. She also competed in AAU and USA Sand Nationals.”
It didn’t take Gracie long to get hooked on the outdoor sport.
“My freshman year I decided to join the Ohio Valley Beach Sand Volleyball Academy for some additional training to enhance my indoor skill, but little did I know how much I was going to love the beach game,” she said. “Since then, I have competitively picked up sand volleyball and competed in tournaments in California, Florida, and a Top-10 finish in 18 open division at Gulf Shores. I can now picture myself in a college sand volleyball uniform, as well as an indoor one.”
National Scouting Report is dedicated to finding scholarship opportunities for athletes who possess the talent, desire, and motivation to compete at the collegiate level. We’ve helped connect thousands of athletes with their perfect college.