Brings vital maturity, leadership and experience to the squad...Is a phenomenal athlete who is team oriented and is a pleasure to coach...Is a strong, confident and agile defensive player with remarkably quick reflexes...Is extremely quick to the ball and is able to keep the play alive...Provides top-notch passing and ball control skills...Is a driven competitor who is always ready to go...Is a major contributor to the team both with her defensive skills and the intangibles she brings.
Grace's Honors
2011
Academic All-Big 12 First Team
2010
Academic All-Big 12 First Team
At Texas A&M
2011 - Senior
Played in 28 of 31 matches and 87 of 116
sets...Made six starts in the back row for right-side hitter Alisia Kastmo...Averaged 1.76 digs per set...Reached
double figures in digs in four matches...Named to the Academic All-Big 12
Volleyball First Team for the second consecutive season.
2010 - Junior
Returned to the court after a two-year absence following her transfer from Baylor following the 2007 season...Made five starts and played in all but three matches as a defensive specialist in her inaugural season with the Aggies...Posted double-figure digs in five matches, including a career-high 11 digs against both North Carolina and Baylor...Averaged 1.62 digs per set...Recorded a .968 reception efficiency, ranking second on the team among those who had more than 325 receptions...Was named to the Academic All-Big 12 First Team.
At Baylor
2007 - Freshman
Played in 111 games and made 27 starts, including 22 as the starting libero...Named to the 2007 Big 12 All-Freshman team...Led the Bears and ranked third in the Big 12 with 4.30 digs per set, ranking second all-time in the Baylor single-season records...Tallied 477 total digs, the fourth-highest single-season total in Baylor history at that time...Tallied double-figure digs in 23 of her 29 matches played, including 20 or more digs on eight occasions...Recorded 15 or more digs in each of the first 11 matches of her career, including 27 digs against Stony Brook in her first match as libero...Recorded a career-high 33 digs in a 3-2 loss to Kansas State...The 33 digs ranked as the fourth-most in program history and was the second best total in the rally scoring era (2001-present)...Also recorded 25 digs in a three-game loss to Missouri, a Baylor record for digs in a three-game match...Recorded 15 service aces on the season including a season-high three against Sam Houston State.
Previous Athletic Experience
A three-year letterwinner at Stratford High School for coach Becky Palermo...Led her team to three straight district championships...Earned PrepVolleyball.com All-America honors as a senior and was listed as one of the website's Class of 2007 top 70 recruits...Was a Prepvolleyball.com National Defensive Player first-team selection in 2006...Selected for the 2007 Texas All-Star Game...Two-time all-state selection, and two-time district MVP...As a junior, was an all-state selection and named to LoneStarVolleyball.com's all-state second team for the second straight season...Also named All-Greater Houston and was the district 19-5A MVP...Named to USA Volleyball Junior Olympic All-Tournament Team in 2005-06...Earned all-tournament honors as "best passer" at 2005 USA High Performance Championships...As a sophomore, was an all-district selection and was named to the Lone Star regional team...Off the court, was the valedictorian of her class, was an academic all-state selection, a recipient of the Athletic Scholar Volleyball Award and a member of the National Honor Society and Fellowship of Christian Athletes.
Personal
Sarah Elizabeth Grace is the daughter of Kenny and Susie Grace...Has a younger sister, Rebecca...Her uncle, Michael Grace, was a standout utility player on the Rice University baseball team from 1986-89...Began playing volleyball when she was 10 years old...Chose to attend A&M because "It has always been a dream of mine to play for the A&M volleyball team, so this is a dream come true"...Was the Stratford High School valedictorian in 2007 and was the recipient of a presidential scholarship at Baylor...Hobbies include swimming, working out and hanging out with the family...A 2010-11 Champs/Texas A&M scholar athlete, is majoring in marketing...Career ambition is to work for a major sports corporation...Born August 6, 1989, in Houston, Texas.
Grace Up Close
The person who has had the greatest impact on my athletic career: Frankie Velez
The accomplishment (athletic or non-athletic) that I am most proud of: all-tournament at nationals and standing on stage with the best volleyball players in my age group
The person I would most like to meet: the president, to figure out what the heck is going on with our country
People have told me that I look like: Jessica Simpson
When I was little, I dreamed of being a: doctor
Something I've always wanted to do but haven't: skydive
Few people know that I: don't like spaghetti noodles because they feel like worms in my mouth
My best non-athletic talent: I'm great at doing people's hair and I am also very artistic
My most prized possession: my circle necklace that my grandma gave me. It stands for our eternal "circle of love"
Favorite class subject: math
Favorite quote: "Faith, hope, and love but the greatest of these is Love." (In memory of my grandmother who passed away last September, I would do anything for her to see me play for Texas A&M because she was always my biggest fan.)
Favorite volleyball player: Misty May
Favorite professional sports team: Houston Astros
Favorite type of music: country
Favorite food: Italian
Favorite book: Redeeming Love
Favorite TV shows: Gossip Girl, The Bachelor/Bachelorette and Grey's Anatomy
Favorite movie: The Blind Side
Favorite sport other than volleyball: baseball
Favorite thing about A&M: the people and the tradition
Favorite Aggie tradition: The Fight Song
Favorite Karaoke song to sing: Pretty Young Thing
Favorite piece of advice: Do your best and give God the rest.