« Volleyball 2018

Gabrielle Eyl

School
Northeastern University
Position
Libero
Major
Business

Classroom

Northeastern volleyball stands out amongst all of Division I (334 teams), having finished in the top 25 nationally for team GPA. This academic success is due in large part to the team’s culture and Gabrielle Eyl is the key component of that culture. She is a cum laude-caliber junior student-athlete currently in the D’Amore-McKim School of Business and has excelled not only in the classroom but also in her co-op experience. 

Eyl is a model student and has managed to balance being a captain, a Student Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) representative and a volunteer with being a regular student and thoughtful daughter. The work opportunity presented to her through Northeastern was a robust and substantive one having spent six months with L.E.K. Consulting. Eyl has demonstrated tremendous growth through this experience, which has been evident both in the classroom and on the court.

Character

Eyl has distinguished herself over her career in a myriad of ways, but possibly none more so than her character. As the team’s captain, she excels at the qualities critical to success in leadership, and those qualities are clearly derived from both her upbringing and her introspective personality. While she can have strong opinions, Eyl approaches everything from a selfless place putting the team first. She is the first to look inward and not rely on crutches, and she sets a strong example for her peers in doing so.

In an era in which the word “millennial” has taken on such a negative connotation, Eyl has remained an advocate of many “old school” ideals such as work ethic, discipline and responsibility. Her commitment to excellence is seen in every moment of effort and is undeniable to her team and coaches. The bar has been set very high through her tenure, and she will leave a lasting legacy of what defines character as a volleyball athlete here at the university.

Community

During her time on campus Eyl has committed more hours in community service than anyone else on the roster, and she has been involved with a number of different organizations in the surrounding community. In her freshman year, Eyl spent 20 hours at Rosie’s Place, and as a sophomore she accumulated 85 hours of service with both the YMCA and a food panty in Colorado and Rosie’s Place in Boston. In Eyl’s third year, she managed 30 hours at Rosie’s Place and through tutoring underprivileged students.

Eyl has also been active in SAAC events and charitable efforts. She was also an integral part of our Dig Pink and Susan B. Komen team efforts over the years.

Competition

It is undeniable that Eyl will go down as one of the most prolific defensive players in the history of Northeastern volleyball. She is on pace to narrowly eclipse the all-time record of 2,382 digs, having accumulated 1,805 in her first three years. For perspective, Eyl has finished as high as 7th in the country for digs per set and currently sits at 22nd after recovering from an injury this preseason.

Eyl has garnered the requisite Colonial Athletic Association all-conference accolades, including second-team all-conference last season and the CAA Defensive Specialist of the Year award, along with countless all-tournament nods in pre-conference play over the years. However, it is with the extraordinary and consistent daily effort that she has endeared herself to her team and coaches. There is no question that she remains the heartbeat of the program.