Garnet Valley High School junior Sarah Wood has something unique to show her friends as she starts the new school year—a Bronze Medal, writes Isabella DiAmore for The Philadelphia Inquirer.
The 16-year-old represented Team USA in beach volleyball in Shangluo, China.
She, along with partner Sally Perez, 17, a UCLA freshman, earned the bronze at the FIVB Beach Volleyball U19 World Championships Sep. 1.
They won the third-place match against Thailand but were beaten in the semifinals by Myriah Massey and Lilly Dee Davis of Team USA. They took home the Gold.
Wood’s making waves in the beach volleyball world. At 14, she was the youngest player to advance from a qualifier to the main draw in a beach tournament with the Association of Volleyball Professionals.
Then the 6-foot-2 split blocker started training with Olympians Taryn Kloth and Kristen Nuss.
“I’ve gotten better as a player,” Wood said, “and have met some new people, which has allowed me to make new connections and play with better people.
Her goal now is to represent her country at the Olympics, possibly in Los Angeles or 2032 in Brisbane, Australia.
Read more about Sarah Wood’s volleyball success and the effort to balance competition with the rest of her teen life in The Philadelphia Inquirer.
