Audrey Buford named Gatorade Oklahoma Volleyball Player of the Year
TULSA, Okla. (BVM) — Following her senior season at Bishop Kelley High School, Audrey Buford was named 2020-21 Gatorade Oklahoma Volleyball Player of the Year.
“I’ve had some pretty good ones [volleyball players], but is she one of the best? Yes, she is, ”Bishop Kelley volleyball head coach Jerri Berna said. “She impacted us in so many ways. We’ve utilized her differently every year because she has a strong game overall. As a player, [all-round], she’s one of the best [players] I’ve ever had.”
Buford’s senior year was a special one. The 5-foot-9 right-side hitter helped lead the Comets to an overall record of 34-3. The Comets also captured the Class 6A state championship after moving up from Class 5A due to their past success as a program.
Buford recorded 617 assists, 307 kills and led her team with 316 digs. She also posted a kill percentage of .429. She finished her career with 2,717 assists, 1,147 digs and 846 kills.
Audrey Buford of Bishop Kelley receives the 2020 Miss Volleyball Oklahoma award sponsored by Shelter Insurance @Shelter_Ins
Congrats Audrey! 🏐 #OKPreps pic.twitter.com/kQU4NCH7cs
— VYPE Oklahoma (@VYPEOK) February 4, 2021
“Audrey is a great competitor and a very strong leader for her team,” Edmond Santa Fe High School volleyball head coach Will Ethridge said in a Gatorade Press release. “She is a do-it-all player. She’s the type of kid you want with the ball in her hands when the game is on the line.”
Audrey sprained her ankle during the state championship, but she wouldn’t let that get in the way of her capturing her first state title since her sophomore year.
“It ended up being a five-set matchup. It was awesome to be able to pull out a win after going through everything” Buford said. “I went to the doctors a few days later, and they said it was one of the worst sprains they’ve ever seen. They were surprised it wasn’t anything more [serious].”
Being able to overcome an injury like that speaks volumes about the kind of player Buford is. But that wasn’t the only thing Buford had to overcome. Buford and her squad had to play through a pandemic. Very few high school athletes have ever had to do that.
“Being able to come and volleyball practice gave everyone [on the team] something to look forward to and I think everyone was grateful to be there,” Buford said.
To go along with an outstanding career on the volleyball court, Buford also flourished off the court. She maintained a GPA of 4.04 and did plenty of volunteer work within her community. Most notably, she was part of the Link Crew at Bishop Kelley. The Link Crew helps freshmen make a smooth transition into high school.
Looking back on her career, Buford has had one of the most successful runs a high school player can have. She’ll continue her academic career at Oklahoma University this fall, but she won’t be pursuing a career in volleyball.
“I’m [by] no means burnt out, I could definitely play another four years,” Buford stated. “I did consider playing at OU, but ultimately for me, I was just ready to move on.”
Whether or not Buford decides to take the volleyball court again, she has a lot to be proud of. She showed that she’s a winner and fierce competitor and whatever the world has in store for her next, she is sure to succeed.
“We’re super proud of Audrey,” Berna said. “She’s been a really great representative of our program and she is a fierce competitor, a winner, has worked hard for us for four years but she’s very graceful and it’s a huge honor [for her].”
