Cameron Gray sports USA volleyball jersey over summer

The name Stephan Gray is remembered always in the Merced law enforcement community, and now another, younger Gray is making a name for herself on the volleyball court.

Cameron Gray, 13, is the youngest child of Stephan Gray, a Merced police officer killed in the line of duty. This summer, she played on the USA Girls’ Select National A2 Invitational Team in Colorado Springs, Colo. She just started her freshman year at Buhach Colony High School, where she earned a spot on the varsity volleyball team.

Officer Gray was gunned down April 15, 2004, by a gang member who now sits on death row. Every year, the Merced Police Department and Gray’s family and friends hold a memorial in his honor.

Michelle Gray knows her husband would be proud of his daughter. “She was so excited to get a USA jersey,” Michelle Gray said. “One of the first things she said was, ‘Man, my dad would be so proud.’ I assured her right then that he is proud of her every day.”

Cameron Gray began playing volleyball through the Atwater recreation league and continued playing at McSwain School.

But, after joining the Rage Volleyball Club out of Stockton, her commitment to the sport intensified. Seven months of the year, four days a week, her mom drives her from Atwater to Stockton for a three-hour practice. Plus, her team participates in tournaments all over. “It’s had a huge impact on me,” she said.

Gray’s Rage coaches are Greg Gibbons, head volleyball coach at University of the Pacific, and Kim Evans, the volleyball coach at Sonora High School. Gray described Evans as “mama bear” and said Evans has helped her become a better athlete and person. Gibbons pushes her limits. “His drills are absolutely insane,” she said. “He showed us if we put our mind to it, we could do anything.”

Evans has enjoyed watching Gray grow. “She was a lot of fun to coach because when she came to us she was reserved at first and didn’t really want to break out of the basic skills she already knew,” Evans said. “Once she decided to try some of the new things we taught her, then the sky became her limit.”

From August to November, Gray plays volleyball at school. From November to May, she plays for Rage. Then, throughout the summer, she plays beach volleyball.

Gray decided to try out for the USA team “for fun” with her friends. “I had no intention of making it,” she said. Out of 5,000 girls trying out, only 128 would be picked.

Two weeks later, her mom scrolled through her emails during dinner at an Outback restaurant when she saw a message saying the teen had made the A2 team. “I almost passed out in the restaurant,” Cameron Gray said.

When Evans found out Gray had made the USA team, she said she was excited and “like a proud mother hen for sure!”

Merced police Lt. Chris Goodwin, who was Stephan Gray’s partner and friend, said the Police Department is excited for Cameron Gray.

“Everybody here that knew her dad is excited to see where she goes with this whole thing,” he said. “We were excited to see her be part of team USA.”

When Gray got to Colorado for practice, she played with girls 4 feet 11 inches tall to 6 feet tall, and girls who were there from every corner of the nation. They practiced 10 hours a day for five days before going to competition. “There was a lot of pressure, but it was helpful to have other girls there who shared the same emotions,” Gray said.

Gray learned new volleyball concepts and skills in Colorado, but the most important thing she learned was the value of teamwork. “Skill is a big part of the game, but it’s really about the team,” she said. “It doesn’t matter if you’re good or bad. You have to play with your team.”

That’s the attitude Gray is taking with her as she begins her first high school volleyball season. The freshman at Buhach Colony made the varsity team. The upperclassmen have welcomed Gray and her best friend, Mallory Pazin, with open arms, she said. “The girls are really nice here. We blend well together.”

Kuuipolani Braceros, the volleyball coach at Buhach, said she is trying to teach her team that it’s OK to make mistakes. “No, it’s necessary to make mistakes,” she said, correcting herself.

With a smile on her face, Cameron Gray thought about her new team and the volleyball road ahead: “This is going to be an exciting season.”

This story was originally published August 27, 2015 at 6:46 PM with the headline "Cameron Gray sports USA volleyball jersey over summer."