In the heart of Colorado Springs, a spirited young girl with a penchant for adventure and a vibrant personality, Ryannah Gagau freshman middle blocker, found her calling thousands of miles away, on the volleyball courts of Long Beach City College in sunny California.
Born and raised in Colorado Springs with a big family of two older sisters and two younger brothers, Gagau’s life was nothing short of chaotic.
“Being raised with Ryannah was anything but dull. She always moved to the beat of her own drum and has always been very outgoing and fearless,” said Gagau’s sister Ruby Ford.
Gagau started playing volleyball in eighth grade but it wasn’t something that she thought she would pursue at all.
“I definitely took it as a joke at first, thinking I wasn’t going anywhere with it, but then COVID hit and I used those two years to train myself where I started to get the feel of volleyball and actually wanting to play at the next level,” Gagau said.
Gagau’s sister made an impact by becoming her social media manager to help film her games and post them on different platforms.
“I just figured that if she wanted to go far with her volleyball career that she was going to be under a microscope with what she posts. That schools have certain expectations, so if she wanted to be considered she really had to take into account that coaches watch what she posts,” Ford explained.
After graduating from Vista Ridge High School in Colorado Springs, she wanted to move away to Southern California because it was a big dream of hers to pursue her volleyball career in California.
After that process, Gagau reached out to different schools from LBCC, Cerritos, and many more around the area.
Long Beach City College head coach Tyler Jackson reached out to Gagau letting her know that she’d be more than happy to have her join the team.
After Gagau’s tour of LBCC, she decided to commit because of the powerhouse that LBCC is and the diversity that the coaching staff had. So Gagau made the decision to move from Colorado to California in 2023 to play for LBCC.
“I was excited for Ryannah’s move to Long Beach. She was born and raised in Colorado and that’s all she’s ever known and she needed this opportunity to grow in so many aspects of life – the diversity and the environment,” Ford said.
Since the start of playing with LBCC, Gagu feels as though both the team and coaches made a positive impact on her as a team player and individual.
“I didn’t think I was gonna get along with the teammates, only because it’s hard for me to open up to anyone that I don’t know, but then I opened up so quickly because the girls and I had more in common,” said Gagau.
Their connection on and off the court is the important part for her because without that connection it can affect how she plays as a player.
Ryannah Gagau poses with a ball in the Hall of Champions gymnasium. Gagau is LBCC’s women’s volleyball freshman middle blocker. (Izzy Juarez) 
LBCC women’s volleyball freshman middle blocker, Ryannah Gagau sits alongside volleyballs at the Hall of Champions gymnasium. Gagau hopes to encourage aspiring girls to pursue their volleyball dreams. (Izzy Juarez) 
Ryannah Gagau poses with a ball in the Hall of Champions gymnasium. Gagau is LBCC’s women’s volleyball freshman middle blocker. (Izzy Juarez) 
LBCC women’s volleyball freshman middle blocker, Ryannah Gagau tosses a ball in the air at the Hall of Champions gymnasium. Gagau is a native to Colorado Springs and moved to California to pursue her volleyball career. (Izzy Juarez) 
LBCC women’s volleyball freshman middle blocker, Ryannah Gagau sits alongside volleyballs at the Hall of Champions gymnasium. Gagau hopes to encourage aspiring girls to pursue their volleyball dreams. (Izzy Juarez) 
LBCC women’s volleyball freshman middle blocker, Ryannah Gagau sits alongside volleyballs at the Hall of Champions gymnasium. Gagau hopes to encourage aspiring girls to pursue their volleyball dreams. (Izzy Juarez) 
LBCC women’s volleyball freshman middle blocker, Ryannah Gagau holds a ball at the Hall of Champions gymnasium. Gagau is a native to Colorado Springs and moved to California to pursue her volleyball career. (Izzy Juarez)
Gagau admittedly is nervous at the beginning of games but her teammates’ energy rubs off on her.
“I get nervous when the game starts, but once I start getting into the groove of it, that’s where that fire comes from, once the team starts showcasing their skills, it gets me hyped up that it’ll make me want to make a big play too,” Gagau said.
Ford said: “I feel like female athletes who are passionate and vocal on the court tend to be misunderstood and come off aggressive or cocky but I feel like (Gagau) has the ability to change how females are viewed when it comes to that.”
Gagau believes keeping her head up high through tough times is a key to being a student athlete.
“My core value is always having a stronger mentality, where if something bad happens to me, like a tough loss or tough test, to not only forget about but ask ‘what can I do to make these things better’,” said Gagau.
With her experience as a student athlete, she is happy to encourage the aspiring girls who would want to become volleyball players and set an example.
“I just want them to know that it’s okay to make mistakes, but never dwell on those mistakes, because the more we dwell on them it just carries right after us,” Gagau said`.
Ford said: “I also believe my sister has the influence to encourage young athletes to focus on their academics and to make that a priority because as the saying goes ‘you’re a student before an athlete’ and I feel like she has truly taken that seriously and made her studies a priority.”
Gagau plans to stay at LBCC and after sophomore year her goal is to attend a four year university to continue her academic and athletic career in hopes of a division one team, specifically the University of Southern California.
Currently Gagau and her teammates have a lot coming for them because they are now facing Regionals with challenging opponents to get into State Championships in early December.