Press release
Jess Mruzik Named 2019-20 Gatorade® National Volleyball Player of the Year
Gatorade Presents Winner with Honor in Front of Teammates, Coaches, Friends and Family FARMINGTON HILLS, Mich., Jan. 22, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- In its 35th year
About this update from Pepsico, Inc.
[{"type":"text","content":"Gatorade Presents Winner with Honor in Front of Teammates, Coaches, Friends and Family\n\n\nFARMINGTON HILLS, Mich., Jan. 22, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- In its 35th year of honoring the nation's most elite high school athletes, The Gatorade Company today announced Jess Mruzik of Mercy High School in Farmington Hills, Mich. is the 2019-20 Gatorade National Volleyball Player of the Year. Mruzik won the prestigious award for her accomplishments on and off the court joining an impressive group of former Gatorade National Volleyball Player of the Year winners who have combined for 89 gold medals and 13 National Championships. \nMruzik was surprised with the award in front of teammates, coaches, friends and family at her school. Check out a video of the announcement here. \nThe award, which recognizes not only outstanding athletic excellence, but also high standards of academic achievement and exemplary character demonstrated on and off the field, distinguishes Mruzik as the nation's best high school volleyball player. A national advisory panel comprised of sport-specific experts and sports journalists helped select Mruzik from nearly half a million high school volleyball players nationwide. \nCompetition for the national award is fierce. Mruzik topped the list of 51 state winners in volleyball who have an incredible list of accomplishments, including 15 All-Americans, 27 All-State, 10 Big Ten committees, 15 with a GPA of 3.8 or higher and 40 volunteering with at least two organizations. \nMruzik is now a finalist for the most prestigious award in high school sports, the Gatorade Female High School Athlete of the Year award, which is announced at a special ceremony prior to The ESPY Awards in July.\n\"I first saw Jess as an eighth grader, when she was dominating older players on the club circuit,\" says John Tawa, Managing Editor for PrepVolleyball.com. \"Not only had she already begun to flash the all-around skillset that overwhelms opponents today, but she also showed the grit and determination that all great athletes possess. Even at a young age, she understood that need to expect more of herself than others because of the extraordinary gifts she owned.\"\nThe state's returning Gatorade Player of the Year and 6-foot-1 senior outside hitter led the Marlins to a 59-1 record and the Division 1 state championship this past season. Mruzik com...