It wasn't an award Alexa Filley was expecting to win.
"I was shocked," Filley said about being named Gatorade's National High School Volleyball Player of the Year.
Filley, a senior at Assumption High School, an all-girl Catholic School in Louisville, Ky., has committed to play on Auburn's volleyball team next season.
The award was recently presented to Filley at her high school.
"They came into my class and had this big trophy," Filley said.
The 5-foot-9 senior setter said she knew she wanted to play at Auburn after she visited campus.
"I just fell in love," Filley said. "The girls on the team are amazing."
Since receiving the award, Filley said her life has become more hectic than usual.
The school volleyball season ended in November with Assumption winning its fourth-straight state championship. Filley is currently playing club volleyball, and is also dealing with all the attention that comes with receiving the award.
"I've been doing interviews with all these different newspapers and magazines," Filley said.
The senior finished with 1,248 assists, 334 digs, 102 kills, 58 blocks and 41 service-aces during her final season at Assumption, in which the Rockets posted a 36-6 record.
"I try and be whatever my team needs me to be," Filley said. "I try to be the rock."
Filley's high school coach Ron Kordes said Filley's dedication and commitment to the game are a big part of what won her award.
"Even when she was in grade school, she was coming in at 6 a.m. to work with the trainer," Kordes said. "There's no place she'd rather be than in the gym."
The award was presented to Filley not only for athletic performance, but also for her off-the-court service and performance in the classroom.
According to Gatorade's website, "The Gatorade Player of the Year award is presented to high school student-athletes who have achieved athletic excellence in conjunction with high standards of academic achievement and exemplary character."
Filley is an assistant in a local second-grade class, donates time to feeding the hungry and has volunteered with the Special Olympics, all while maintaining a 3.91 grade point average.
She won the award in its 29th year of existence and is the first player from the state of Kentucky to win the award on a national level.
In December, Filley was named the Gatorade Player of the Year for the state of Kentucky, giving Assumption its eleventh winner.
Filley will become just the third Auburn athlete to have the national award on her resume, joining Andre Scott (Track and Field, 1994) and Stacy Martin (Track and Field, 1999), and will look to make an immediate impact when she joins the Tigers on the court for the first time next season.
Auburn finished its season in November with a 3-1 loss at Georgia, giving them an overall record of 19-11 with 10-8 finish in the Southeastern Conference.
In addition to winning the award, Filley is also now a finalist for the Gatorade National Female Athlete of the Year. The winner of that award will be recognized during an afternoon ceremony in Los Angeles on the day of the ESPY Awards in July.
Should she win, Filley would be the second volleyball player to receive the honor, the first being Cynthia Barboza of Long Beach, Calif., who won in 2005.
Filley will arrive at Auburn on June 23.
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