Beach Volleyball | 4/26/2017 3:51:00 PM

SAN FRANCISCO – San Francisco beach volleyball senior Emily Reed capped off her collegiate career with selection to the All-WCC Second Team, as voted on by the league coaches and announced by the conference offices today.

"Though I was only able to spend a short time coaching Emily, it became very clear to me that she had a mind for this game," noted USF beach volleyball coach Simone Ortega. "She worked very hard mentally this season to remain cool under pressure and to give constant support to her teammates. This honor is a testament to that hard work and dedication."

A native of Sunnyvale, Calif., this is the first league recognition for Reed in her four dedicated years wearing Green and Gold as a member of both the indoor and beach volleyball squad.

"I started on the fifth team my first year, and then my second year I was on fours, junior year I was on threes, and this year I started at twos and ended at ones, so I had a steady progression," reflected Reed. "I never thought that I would be someone that other coaches saw as a spark as a player.

"It makes me very proud that I stayed with it. All four years were very hard and there were many times where I wanted to stop playing because it was so hard, but I put my head down and worked through it. I wanted to be right about myself that I could work through anything."

This spring, Reed and partner Nora Buvarp Lavik compiled three victories on Court 1, defeating opponents from Santa Clara and Sacramento State during the regular season. The tandem again knocked off their Bronco foes in the WCC Championships, downing Santa Clara's top team 16-21, 21-16, 17-15.

"In that game against Santa Clara when we lost the first set, I looked at Nora and I was like I don't want to go to three because I'm tired, but we're going to three and we're going to win," Reed said of her partner Buvarp Lavik. "And she looked at me and just said ok. I know that whole game she was fighting to get my last win and so that was really cool and really special that I had someone on my team that just wanted something good for me and I had people in my corner. As a senior that's the greatest thing – having that one person next to you fighting for everything you want in your last season."

Reed is slated to earn her degree in communications this spring, and she plans to pursue a career as a special education teacher after graduation.