When CWU senior Sabrina Wheelhouse started playing sports, she didn’t originally start with volleyball. The 6-foot-3 middle-blocker tried her hand at basketball first, but was turned off by the aggressive nature of the game. In 8th grade, Wheelhouse finally gave volleyball a try and fell in love with the sport.

Wheelhouse’s position on the court came naturally to her. With her impressive height, her coaches said it was a natural choice to put her right in front of the net, which she was already eye level with. While she says the game is complex, she picked it up easily and continued to advance.

Flash forward eight years and Wheelhouse is ranked No. 2 in blocking in the entire NCAA Division II, boosting the Wildcats to No. 1 in blocks overall, according to the NCAA website.

Even with her success, Wheelhouse remains humble, crediting her teammates and coaches as a large part of getting her to where she is today.

“Central Washington is a force at the net,” Wheelhouse said.

Wheelhouse, a public relations major, started playing at Sheldon High School and for Boss Volleyball Club in Eugene, Oregon. It was then she first met future teammate, outside hitter Jordan Deming.

Deming, a senior, vividly remembers disliking Wheelhouse while playing on rival teams at both the high school and club level. The two didn’t formally meet until their freshman year of college, when they became roommates.

“Once you get to know her, her fun side comes out” Deming said. “She’s selfless.”

Deming touched on her extraordinary playing and leadership ability both on and off the court.

“Sabrina leads by example. She doesn’t have a lot to say, but she does the right thing consistently.” Deming said.

Wheelhouse says that volleyball head Coach Mario Andaya, assistant Coach Chloe Solum and her parents are her biggest motivators.   

When she gets a break from her busy schedule, Wheelhouse travels east to Spokane to visit her parents, or back to Eugene, Oregon, to visit her brother.

When it came time to choose a college, CWU wasn’t the only university on Wheelhouse’s radar. Western Oregon and Western Washington were also possible candidates.

However, as soon as Wheelhouse visited CWU, she felt at home and the choice was made.

Andaya, a 21-year coach at CWU, was a big part of the recruiting process concerning Wheelhouse. He said he knew she has and continues to have a lot of potential for growth and much to learn on the court.

Since then, Wheelhouse has cherished her four years’ worth of memories practicing, traveling and competing with her teammates. Some overall standout memories in her career at CWU include being named to the All-Conference First Team last year and being one of the top blockers in the NCAA D2.

“[Sabrina] is a good example of working hard, even though she’s already been successful,” Andaya said. “She keeps things in perspective.”

Off the court, Wheelhouse’s focus turns to her grades and meeting her graduation requirements while still saving time to let her adventurous side show through.  Wheelhouse loves to be outside as much as possible.

When she has free time, Wheelhouse can be found at sporting events or baking and watching Netflix, reminding everyone that even though she’s one to watch on the court, she’s just like another college student off the court.

Deming recalls how quiet Wheelhouse was freshman year, but that view has changed as well.

“I’m not really that intimidating,” Wheelhouse said. “I’m just tall.”