Gibson in 2007
Mallori Gibson earned a medical hardship from the NCAA in 2006 and will be sophomore in 2007. As a returning starter, she will look to show-off her strong arm that propelled CU in 2006. Gibson looks to make even more of an impact this season with a year of experience under her belt.
As a Redshirt Freshman in 2006
Gibson was second in the squad in kills with 351, which also ranks 31st on the single-season kills chart. She led the Buffs with 34 aces and ranked seventh in the Big 12 with 0.33 per game. Gibson served up a career-high four aces against No. 10 UCLA (9/1) at the Hawaiian Airlines Volleyball Classic. The following night, she recorded 14 kills and seven digs against No. 7 Hawai’i. Gibson recorded a career-best hitting percentage against Central Connecticut State (9/8) of .643 with 10 kills on 14 swings with one error. She tied a career-high three blocks against Texas Tech (9/16) and Nebraska (11/11). Gibson led CU with 11 kills against No. 8 Texas (9/20). She was named the CU Athlete of the Week on Sept. 25 after recording 29 kills against Texas and Kansas. Gibson barely missed her first career double-double with 18 kills and nine digs against Kansas State (11/1). She recorded 10 or more kills in 21 matches and has recorded 15 or more on eight occasions. Gibson hammered 16 kills in the five-game upset of No. 1 Nebraska (11/11). She recorded over 20 kills twice. She had 24 kills against Oklahoma (11/18) and a career-best 28 against Baylor (11/22).
As a Freshman in 2005
Gibson participated in eight games and three matches for the Buffs. She collected six kills on 28 swings and also added two block assists and three digs. Gibson recorded a career-best four points against Oklahoma (9/24) with three kills and two block assists. She made her collegiate debut against St. Peter’s (8/27) and recorded three kills and one dig.
High School
Named among PrepVolleyball.com’s Top 250 in the nation, Mallori Gibson was a four-year letter winner for Foothill High School. In 2004, the Bakersfield Californian named her Kern County Player of the Year after compiling 596 kills, 417 digs and 65 blocks for the Trojans who finished 18-12. Gibson earned the 2005 Jim Tyack Award as Kern County’s Most Outstanding Athlete and was named Foothill High School’s Most Outstanding Athlete for 2005. She recorded 675 kills as a junior pacing Foothill to a 22-9 mark and a spot in the Central Section Division II semifinals. Gibson led Kern County in kills, digs and aces all four years of high school and also led the circuit in blocks her freshman through junior years at middle blocker before playing her senior season at outside hitter. She was a four-time All-South East Yosemite League selection, a three-time all-area pick and a three-time team MVP. Gibson graduated from Foothill as the school’s all-time leader in kills with 2,225. She is a four-year All-SEYL pick in basketball and was the league’s co-MVP and first team all-area in 2005. She won six league titles in track & field ? three times in the shot put, twice in the long jump and once in pole vault ? and is a three-time SEYL Track & Field Female Athlete of the Year. Gibson won the U.S. Marine Corps Distinguished Athlete Award and the U.S. Army Reserve National Scholar-Athlete Award as a senior. She was also the CIF Scholar Athlete of the Year in 2005.
Personal
Born Mallori Janell Gibson on Feb. 23, 1987, in Bakersfield. She is the daughter of Mike and Tami Gibson. Mike, who played college football at the University of Hawai’i (1979-81), was Mallori’s high school volleyball coach. She has two older sisters, Mindi, a former prep standout who earned a degree from Cal State-Bakersfield, and Melani who played volleyball for two years at Bakersfield Junior College. Her favorite moment of her high school career was signing a national letter of intent to play volleyball at CU. She enjoys participating and watching all sports, shopping and spending time with family and friends.
Academics
Mallori is majoring in integrated physiology at CU and is also interested in criminal investigation. Gibson earned a spot on the Big 12 Commissioner’s honor roll in the fall. In high school, she was named the CIF (Central California) Scholar-Athlete of the Year in 2005 as she had a 4.5 GPA in high school and ranked 6th in her class of 504. In high school she was active in student council, serving as ASB President as a senior, Interact Club, FCA and Honor Roll. She received the school’s Scholar Athlete Award four times.
