University of South Alabama Athletics

AT SOUTH ALABAMA
- Will serve as the South Alabama Student-Athlete Athletic Counsel (SAAC) President for the 2026-27 year

JUNIOR (2025)
- Earned Second-Team All-Sun Belt Conference honors
- Was a preseason all-league selection
- Had season cut short due to a knee injury but started 20 matches
- Posted career numbers with 3.33 kills per set, 3.83 points per set, a .289 hitting percentage, 1.19 digs per set and 43 total blocks – 22 solo and 21 block assists, before suffering the season-ending injury
- Despite having her season cut short, still managed to finish ranked ninth in the SBC in kills and points
- Her 22 solo blocks were the most of any non-middle blocker in the SBC, and tied for the sixth-most in the SBC this season.
- In conference play, averaged 3.54 kills per set and 4.14 points per set, while hitting .316, all of which rank in the Top 10 of the SBC
- At the time of her injury, she ranked in the Top 10 of the Sun Belt in both kills and points
- Led the club offensively nine times and posted 13 double-digit kill matches with five more with eight or more
- Had 10 matches with a .300 or better hitting percentage, twice hitting over .500 
- Recorded three 20-kill performances during the season, and had 32 sets with four or more kills, including 10 of six or more
- Her first 20-kill match came versus Central Michigan (9/5) where she had a .381 hitting percentage and nearly recorded a double-double with eight digs
- Had a career-high 23 kills versus Troy (9/27) where she posted a .513 hitting percentage
- Best series performance came against ULM where she had 35 kills and had just two attack errors in 66 offensive attacks, while hitting .565 in the opener and .465 in the finale
- Her most impressive performance came against Troy where she had 11 kills in a set, where she scored seven of South’s final eight points to rally the Jags back

SOPHOMORE (2024)
- Earned Second-Team All-Sun Belt Conference honors
- Named to the College Sports Communicators Academic All-District 
- Ranking second on the team in kills (288) and kills per set (2.85), points (329.5) and points per set (3.26) coming off the bench
- Also recorded 17 aces, 100 digs and 38 total blocks
- Emerged as offensive threat in Sun Belt play as she averaged 3.23 kills per set, which ranked 10th in the league
- Had 25 sets with four or more kills – second-most on the club – including 11 of five or more  
- Of her 25 sets with four or more, 23 came against Sun Belt foes 
- Twice recorded 10 kills in a single set, both against league foes (at James Madison and vs. Coastal Carolina) 
- Led the club in kills in 11 matches 
- Recorded nine or more kills in 17 of her last 21 matches, including 14 of her final 16, and 13 in double figures over the 21-match stretch 
- Had 14 matches of 10 or more kills, with 12 coming against SBC foes 
- Also had four matches with a .400 or better hitting percentage 
- Recorded 120 kills and averaged 3.16 kills per set during South’s season-best 10-match win streak, which saw the Jags sweep five-straight SBC series 
- Had a then career-high 17 kills in the series finale at Troy 
- Recorded 21 total kills and hit over .375 in the series sweep of ULM 
- Had 31 kills, 17 and 14, respectively in the road series at Southern Miss 
- Best offensive output came at James Madison where she had 35 kills combined, including a career-high 22 kill effort in the finale where she also hit .429 
- Posted 18 kills in the series finale at Arkansas State (11/9)
- In the regular-season, series-finale versus Coastal Carolina, she recorded 42 kills (4.20 per set)

AT WEST VIRGINIA
Lettered one season at West Virginia.

FRESHMAN (2023)
- Played in 55 sets in 21 matches, starting four matches for the Mountaineers 
- Recorded seven kills and seven aces, while also registering 64 digs
- Had a season-best four kills versus LeMone (8/25), an ace and four digs 
- Twice recorded a season-best nine digs: vs. College of Charleston (8/26) and North Carolina (8/31)

HIGH SCHOOL AND CLUB
- Lettered four seasons in volleyball at Lake Brantley High School in Altamonte Springs, Fla. 
- During her prep career, she was a four-time all-conference selection, a three-time SAC All-Academic honor roll recipient and a two-time FACA all-state selection 
- Was a Prep-Volleyball Top-150 recruit, an AAU All-American (2022), a USAV NTDP and an AVCA All-American 
- Led the Patriots to a regional title in 2022 and a Final Four appearance in 2021 
- Over the course of her prep career, she recorded 904 kills, 141 aces, 131 blocks and 930 digs 
- Left holding the program marks in kills and aces and had her jersey retired 
- Played at the club level for 10 years for both Winter Park and Top Select Volleyball Academy 
- Helped Winter Park qualify for the Junior Nationals from ages 12-15 where her U15 team placed third 
-  Helped Top Select qualify for the Junior Nationals from ages 15-17 where the club’s U17 team placed eighth at the AAU and ninth at Junior Nationals

PERSONAL
- Full name is Sarah Gooch 
- Born in Altamonte Springs, Fla.
- Daughter of Frank and Heidi Gooch 
- Has two older brothers, Bo and Brad, and a sister, Anna 
- Brother, Bo, played basketball at Flagler, while Brad played collegiate baseball 
- Majoring in sports management & recreational studies