By Ed Piper
In a vacuum of other information, La Jolla High's Madeleine Gates, a middle blocker, will travel with the U.S. National Volleyball Team made up of current college players to Napoli, Italy, to compete in the World University Games in July.
The UCLA-graduating Gates, who carried five Advanced Placement courses and one college course during a semester as a Viking, and the squad, selected in March, will play in preliminary-round matches beginning American Independence Day, July 4, through July 11 in the coastal city.
The semifinals are schedule July 12, with medal-round matches July 13.
Other middles on the elite squad include Kennedy Eschenberg of BYU and Avie Niece from the University of Washington.
Gates, according to a local source, is walking through graduation at UCLA for her Bachelor's degree in June, completing her undergraduate studies in three years, instead of the usual four.
Commencement ceremonies at UCLA occur the weekend of Fri., June 14, through Mon., June 16.
After being named a Second Team All-American her sophomore year at UCLA in 2017, the 6'3" power hitter in 2018 tied for third among Pac-12 players with 20 solo blocks in 27 overall matches for the Bruins, who finished a blemished 8-12 in the conference, 13-14 overall.
The right-hander, who also played basketball her freshman and sophomore years at La Jolla High, finished with a total of 107 blocks, on 87 assisted blocks.
Gates was one of the lights for UCLA in a 12-8, 21-11 season in 2017.
The Bruins placed third in the Pac-12 during Madeleine's freshman year, 15-5 in conference, 27-7 overall. The team slide over the three years of her career is apparent, though that is not to her discredit.
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