2009 BYU Hall of Fame

In a program rich in tradition and victory, few names stand out more than that of Amy Steele Gant. A BYU middle blocker from 1994-97, Gant finished her collegiate career as one of the most prolific players in program history, simultaneously loved by teammates and feared by opponents.

Gant began racking up honors early in her Cougar career after arriving on campus from Laguna Hills High School in Laguna Hills, Calif. As early as her sophomore year, volleyball aficionados on the conference and national level were taking notice of the 6-foot-2 powerhouse. That season she earned the first of her three All-Western Athletic Conference First Team awards and was honored as the WAC Player of the Year. She was also named to the 1995 American Volleyball Coaches Association All-District VII First Team, making her eligible for All-America consideration. The season culminated in Volleyball Magazine All-America honorable mention and AVCA All-America Second Team recognition.

Honors continued to pour in as Gant’s prowess on the court continued. In her final two years at BYU, Gant was named the AVCA National Player of the Week twice, earned AVCA All-District VII First Team citations in both 1996 and 1997 and was named to the NCAA Regional All-Tournament teams both years after leading the Cougars to the 1996 and 1997 NCAA Regional Finals. She was also named the 1997 WAC Mountain Division Player of the Year and earned honorable mention All-America recognition from Volleyball Magazine in 1996. The culmination of her career came with two All-America First Team awards in 1997 from the AVCA and Volleyball Magazine.

Gant did much more than just work hard on the court. Her academic success also set her apart. She was named to the 1995, 1996 and 1997 GTE/CoSIDA District VII All-Academic Teams and is one of only three Cougars all-time to earn All-America recognition in both athletics and academics. She was named to the GTE/CoSIDA Academic All-America First Team in 1997 after earning third-team honors the previous year. After completing her Cougar career, Gant received an NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship.

After four years of dominating volleyball, Gant’s hold on the BYU record book was impressive. She ranked third all-time in career blocks (694), career block assists (594) and career blocks per game (1.56). She is fourth all-time at BYU in career kills (1755), career kills per game (3.95) and career solo blocks (100). She was also tied for fifth all-time in season kills per game (5.13/1997) and season block assists (180/1996) as well as being tied for eighth all-time in season total blocks (204/1996) and 10th in season hitting percentage (.369/1997). The seven-time WAC Player of the Week led the team in kills as a sophomore, junior and senior; hitting percentage as a sophomore and senior; aces as a sophomore; and blocks for all four years of her career.

Upon graduation, Gant went on to compete on the 1998 U.S. National Team and was named a national finalist for NCAA Woman of the Year. She went on to share her passion for volleyball as a color analyst for television networks including ESPN2, The Mtn., Fox Sports and BYUtv. She married Jesse Gant, a former setter for the BYU men’s volleyball program.

• Started 28 of 29 matches
• Led the team in blocks per game with 1.33
• Recorded double figure kills 13 times
• Cougar Club Scholar-Athlete

• Led BYU (among the nation’s leaders) in blocks per game with 1.55
• Topped BYU in hitting percentage at .274, kills per game with 4.08 and service aces per game with 1.55
• Hit career-best of 23 kills and six aces
• Recorded two triple-doubles
• Three-time WAC Player of the Week
• AVCA National Player of the Week
• First Team All-WAC and WAC Co-Player of the Year
• AVCA First Team All-District VII
• AVCA Second Team All-America and Honorable Mention Volleyball Magazine All-America
• Academic All-WAC
• GTE CoSIDA District VIII Academic All-America
• Cougar Club Scholar-Athlete

• Led the team (ninth in the nation) in blocks per game (1.67), kills per game (4.01) and hitting percentage (.269)
• Recorded double figure in kills in all but one match, digs nine times and blocks four times
• Had career-bests of 14 blocks and 24 digs
• Recorded triple double (19k, 13d, 10b)
• All-Tournament teams for the WAC Championship and the NCAA Mountain Regional
• WAC Mountain Division Player of the Week
• First Team All-WAC Mountain Division
• AVCA First Team All-District
• Volleyball Magazine Honorable Mention All-America
• Academic All-WAC
• GTE CoSIDA Academic All-District and Third Team Academic All-American
• Cougar Club Scholar-Athlete
• Currently second on BYU career list in blocks with 508

• Named to the 1997 AVCA All-District VII First Team
• All-WAC First Team
• AVCA First Team
• Volleyball Magazine First Team
• East Region NCAA All-Tournament Team
• AVCA National Player of the Week 9/8/97
• WAC Mountain Division Player of the Year
• Cougar Club Y Award- Leon Holbrook Spirit of Sport
• Fifth all time at BYU in season kills per game (5.13 kpg)
• Tenth all-time at BYU in season hitting percentage (.369)
• Led the team in kills, blocks and hitting percentage