MOSCOW, Idaho - With the Black and Gold intrasquad scrimmage just over a week away, Vandal Volleyball has reloaded with standout talent from the transfer portal and prep ranks. The latest edition of "New Faces" features Gabi Smith, a recruit from the latter group who was an early target for head coach Romana Redondo Kriskova over the spring semester.
MEET GABI
A 6' hitter out of Issaquah, WA, Gabi made a name for herself among the northwest for her presence in the middle of the court. As a senior in the 2024 season, she emerged as Seattle Prep's most efficient hitter, recording 88 kills in 162 attempts, or 45.1% of the time. She was the only player on the team to eclipse 40% on the year. Gabi's 2.8 kills per set ranked second on the roster, and she would also lead them in total blocks with 37, twelve more than second place.
Bolstered by these efforts, Seattle Prep finished with a record of 24-4, the most wins since 2011 (26) and the first 20-win season since then as well. They finished with an 18-1 record in 3A Metro play, not losing a regular season league match in October or November. The team advanced to the semifinals of the WIAA Championships, surrendering only a single set in the first two rounds of the bracket.
As a name to know from the recruiting cycle in the northwest, Gabi found her new home in Moscow, Idaho, where the community and the efforts of the coaching staff stood out to her most.
"I chose Idaho because I really liked the coaches, specifically how much they cared about team culture and chemistry," said Smith. "I also chose Idaho because I loved all the players I met, and because the academics fit what I was looking for. I'm most excited for game days, because I know those will be a lot of fun, and I'm also excited to meet more people in the Vandal community because all of them I've met so far have been super nice and fun."
Fans will get their first opportunity to see Gabi and her teammates live on Saturday, Aug. 23, at the annual Black and Gold Scrimmage in Memorial Gym. Vandal Volleyball is also offering a free kids clinic to follow the scrimmage, open to K-4th Grade. To sign up for the clinic, return a signed waiver form to assistant coach Ben Kasun at bkasun@uidaho.edu. Forms can be found HERE or at govandals.com
FOLLOW THE VANDALS
To stay up to date with Idaho Volleyball, follow the team on instagram(vandalvolleyball), X(IdahoVolleyball), and visit govandals.com
