Former ‘Baler Jamie Temperino signs letter of intent to East
Carolina University
Gilroy
Gavilan women’s volleyball coach Kevin Kramer wasn’t shocked at all when he heard of Jamie Temperino’s intentions.
“She played at the DI level already,” Kramer said. “We were just pleased to have her.”
Temperino, a member of the Rams volleyball team and former San Benito Lady ‘Baler, signed a National Letter of Intent Thursday to play at East Carolina University in Greenville, N.C.
Coming off a season where she led Gavilan in kills (380), hitting percentage (.204), blocks (55.5) and digs (340), an impressive tally that earned her MVP honors in the Coast Conference last season, Temperino previously played at Fresno State in 2006 where she led the Bulldogs in both blocks and hitting percentage.
Occupying the middle position, the 2006 graduate of San Benito High School will now head east – some 2,855 miles away.
“I went and visited and it was an all-around great atmosphere for sports,” Temperino said. “I enjoyed the school and the girls on the volleyball team.
“I’m kind of nervous being 3,000 miles away, but it’s a good experience and I want to come back here to coach and teach at the high school.”
Temperino competed at two showcases in Fresno and Sacramento earlier in the season, and was spotted by staff of East Carolina before eventually signing a full-ride scholarship to play with Pirates.
“I went to a visit and loved it,” said Temperino, who’ll be majoring in communications and public relations. “I had a lot of help from coach Kramer. He set it all up. I owe a lot to him … the coaches here were amazing.”
The Gavilan spiker also thanked all of her high school coaches, as well as Chuck Shellhorn, who got her involved in volleyball her sophomore year at SBHS.
Temperino said she will be expected to play middle next season, and bring that same athleticism that got her to where she is today.
Standing just 5-foot-10 – usually middle’s are about 6-foot-2, she said – Temperino makes up for what she lacks in size with aggressiveness.
“For Jamie, she’s not the tallest middle in DI, but her intelligence and quickness make up for that,” Kramer said. “You can put her on the court or field and she’ll stand out. Her overall athleticism is what her biggest strength is as a volleyball player.”
Temperino helped lead the Rams to a 12-9 record and a third-place finish in the Coast Conference – South last season, an impressive turnaround from the previous season’s 7-15 mark.
She’ll be joining an East Carolina squad that went 16-17 last season after falling to top-seeded Marshall in the quarterfinals of the Conference USA Tournament. Temperino will be under the guidance of head coach Chris Rushing, who’s entering his fourth season at the helm for the Pirates.
“It’s at a great level with Conference USA,” Temperino said. “I have to step it up a little more now.”
