HS VOLLEYBALL: Delaware Valley's U'Glay commits to Merrimack College
Oct. 7—Chris U'Glay has faced and conquered adversity while building his confidence as he developed into one of the most dominant volleyball players in District 2 and a college prospect.
Through all of his efforts at Delaware Valley and extra play at AAU, his vision of some day playing at an NCAA Division I school started to blur with each passing day without any schools at that level showing interest.
Then, along came Merrimack College. A meeting with the coaches, deep discussions with team members, and a campus visit overwhelmed him. The 6-foot-7 senior and two-time All-Region selection committed to the Andover, Massachusetts, school that competes in the Northeast Conference.
"It feels that at moments throughout my journey, I have always wanted to play Division I, and it has always been a goal of mine but seemed such a reach," U'Glay said. "There have been some setbacks and injuries, and this decision makes me emotional because there were times when going to Division I seemed way out of pocket.
"I am really grateful and thankful for my family, my teammates, and all of my coaches for supporting me. This is truly a blessing."
In his sophomore season, U'Glay became the leader of a team that had to rebuild its starting lineup.
Throughout his varsity career, though, he also battled injuries that slowed his development. But that spring, while the Warriors finished with an 8-3 record in the Wyoming Valley Conference, By season's end, Delaware Valley had improved enough to win the District 2 Class 3A championship.
He finished with 190 kills while also contributing 71 digs, 71 serving points, 29 aces, and eight blocks.
Last season, U'Glay emerged as a force in the front row. He led the Warriors to a 15-2 record and championships in the WVC and District 2 Class 3A. In addition, he earned the most valuable player award from the WVC coaches and finished with 199 kills, 29 of which came in three postseason games. He also added 115 service points, 64 aces, and 90 digs.
The Pennsylvania Volleyball Coaches Association named him to the Class 3A all-state second team.
U'Glay is the Delaware Valley school-record holder with 432 kills, 301 service points, and 134 aces.
"Being the only returning starter as a sophomore, I had to go from being a role player to being a leader, and that transition was difficult," U'Glay said. "That was a really big wake-up call for me. We lost some matches that sophomore year, but in my junior year, we were league champions and district champions.
"But I didn't have a lot of offers. I had mostly interest from Division II and Division III schools that were coming up to me at camps. Once I started understanding the game more, I really started to feel like I could make playing at Division I happen."
Once U'Glay received interest from Merrimack College and met coach Ray Lewis, then eventually walked on campus, his dream became a reality.
"The first thing I noticed on my call with the coach was that his stood out so far beyond the others," U'Glay said. "At one of the camps there, it was the one where I learned the most. The coach really cares about his players. I asked the players who I met about their relationship with the coaches because that was important to me, and they all said great things. The team really is a family, and that is what I want to be a part of while also being successful.
"The campus is beautiful. I fell in love with it just driving through, and the tour was even better."
Contact the writer: jbfawcett@scrantontimes.com; 570-348-9125; @sportsTT on X
