Emily Gallaher was not wearing a pair of ruby slippers, but she was convinced there was no place like home.
The Woodrow Wilson libero also didn’t even have to click her heels to arrive at the desired destination.
It was right here all along.
Wednesday afternoon, surrounded by family, coaches, teammates and friends Gallaher signed a National Letter of Intent to play volleyball for WVU Tech.
“I like being home. I am not ready to leave home yet. There is a lot of family here and a lot of friends here,” Gallaher said. “I want to return and watch my (high school) team play again. There is a lot here and Tech offers a wonderful biology program. The volleyball team is also wonderful, so it was a win-win.”
Flying Eagles head coach Bre Rhodes was on hand for the signing and talked about her back row standout.
“I am so proud,” Rhodes said. “She has been an asset since she came in as a freshman. She came from Shady (Spring), so we were lucky to get her. It is hard to come in as a freshman and get playing time on varsity, so that was really big. Emily made a name for herself and has been a real presence in the back row. She has been someone that I can really count on out there.”
Gallaher started playing volleyball in third grade, but it did not take long to find the position that was perfect for her.
“When I was in middle school they worked with me as a setter. I wasn’t bad at it, but I knew what I wanted to do,” Gallaher said. “I was going to make myself better on the back row. It has been a big thing for me to make myself the player that I wanted myself to be and be for my team.”
Manning one of the toughest positions on the floor, Gallaher plays a much more valuable role than the casual fan might notice on the surface.
“The back row kind of controls everything. We are like a silent partner,” Gallaher said. “I can see the openings on the other side. Often times the hitter doesn’t see that. I am not the one that hits it, but I can tell (the hitter) everything that I see. I am kind of the navigator.”
With Gallaher roaming the back row, Woodrow Wilson has made the AAA state tournament all four years of her career.
During her senior season, Gallaher averaged nine digs per match and 10 receptions.
“I know the history of Woodrow volleyball,” WVU Tech volleyball head coach Amber Linville said. “Being able to compete at the triple-A level and be a standout player at that level is already a big step in the right direction for her.”
Although Linville did not get to see Gallaher play during the regular season, a campus visit showed the Golden Bears coach all she needed to see.
“We came to watch her at a tournament here at Woodrow and the game we came to watch, she was out with a concussion,” Linville said. “We didn’t get to see her play until a campus visit a few weeks ago. When she got out on the floor with the other girls, she just clicked. You could tell that it felt like home to her.”
Linville is also convinced Gallaher is destined for success at the college level.
“It was great to get to talk to her and give her this opportunity,” Linville said. “Back row is hard to read and during a game they are often times overlooked. She is definitely a standout and she is going to be really good for us.”
“The biggest thing we look for is someone that has a good attitude and is coachable,” Linville went on to say. “If you have that, we can work it out. Obviously the athleticism has to be there, but that is not a problem with Emily. She jumped right in there and she was picking up balls that the girls were hitting down hard.”
Volleyball started as fun for Gallaher, but now the game she loves as taken her to places she could only dream of as a young girl.
“This is really exciting. It is like of all the hard work I have had, all of the doubts and fears have all paid off,” Gallaher said.
