Laker refuses to let cancer end her volleyball dream

For as long as Gabby Orlet can remember, volleyball has been a part of her life. 

The daughter of a college volleyball coach, Orlet said she and her three siblings practically grew up in a gymnasium. Volleyball was not only a family connection; it was a personal, competitive one for her, too. 

She dreamed of playing volleyball at the collegiate level, but the future she envisioned was threatened when she was diagnosed with a rare, aggressive form of cancer as a young teenager.

“I remember when I didn't have volleyball in my life, and I really realized how much it impacted me,” Orlet said. “When I lost it, it felt like I had lost my identity. So getting it back was a huge reason why I fought so hard.” 

Orlet was determined to return to the sport she loved. She drew strength and inspiration from another figure in athletics who faced his own cancer diagnosis more than 30 years ago — former North Carolina State basketball coach and broadcaster Jim Valvano.

“There were so many points where I thought playing college volleyball wasn't meant for me,” Orlet said. “I had been pushed down so many times that maybe I should find something new.

“I hated how my life looked without volleyball in it and not competing every day in a gym.”

A life-changing diagnosis

It was during a practice when Orlet experienced a sharp pain in her back so piercing that she had to catch her breath. The pain became so severe she was sidelined from participating, and at one point, unable to stand. 

Doctors initially believed she fractured a vertebra and may require surgery. When the pain became unbearable during one weekend, she returned to the hospital, where doctors discovered a growth pressing against her spinal cord.

The diagnosis was a giant cell tumor of bone, a rare, locally aggressive tumor that is most commonly found in adults aged 20-40 years old. She was 14 years old.

During a 14-hour surgery, surgeons removed the tumor, performed a spinal fusion and stabilized her spine with rods. Over the next several months, Orlet had to relearn how to stand and walk, along with other basic movements. 

Less than a year later, she faced another setback. During a follow-up, doctors discovered the cancer had returned and metastasized in her lungs. Chemotherapy was her best option for recovery. 

“I fought so hard because I didn't want it to take me down,” Orlet said. “I didn't want this to be the reason that I didn't achieve all my dreams that I've always wanted. So the mental part was obviously tougher than the physical.” 

A dream realized at Grand Valley

Despite her diagnosis and treatment, Orlet continued pursuing her goal of playing college volleyball by sending emails to coaches and athletic programs, including Grand Valley head coach Jason Johnson.

“We talked the following week, and when I came here, the biggest thing for me was Jason saw my journey as a positive and didn’t see any of it as a negative,” Orlet said. 

“He saw that I’m dedicated to the sport. Everything I’ve done to get back was a positive for me and a testimony to what I’ve been through, and how much I wanted to be a part of the program.”

During her first year at Grand Valley, Orlet's father hung a framed quote from Valvano in her room.

Valvano received the Arthur Ashe Courage Award at the 1993 ESPY Awards, where he announced the formation of the V Foundation for Cancer Research. His message — “Don't give up. Don't ever give up” — became the foundation's enduring motto.

“She'll come back from hours of treatment and jump right into practice,” head coach Jason Johnson said. “You can tell she’s physically exhausted, but she does not want to be held out. She just wants to be a part of everything, and her teammates see that.” 

Valvano’s message and the foundation’s mission remain important to Orlet. She has been profiled on the foundation’s website and continues to share her story through its social media channels. She also pays tribute to him during matches, writing “Jimmy V” on her shoe’s midsole. 

“She’s incredibly relational with our players,” Johnson said. “She invests in every teammate in our program and has high expectations and standards. Off the court, there’s not a nicer, more connected, more engaged person, and that allows her to be successful in the position she’s in.”

Now a sophomore studying sports management with a minor in psychology, Orlet is a key contributor for the Lakers. She ranks among league leaders with 883 assists and has been named GLIAC Setter of the Week three times this season.

“Volleyball is a big team environment, and I've met some of my best friends playing this, and I could not imagine life without it,” she said. “That's a big reason why I came to Grand Valley: the culture and the environment.”

Orlet continues to receive chemotherapy, with no end date currently in sight. Because her cancer is so rare, her experience may also contribute to researchers’ understanding of the disease.

“Even if I have to do chemo for 10-15 more years, at least I'm assisting the research,” Orlet said. “That’s something that I look to a lot when I’m having tough days.”

“We say all the time that this disease is bigger than us, but the journey and the fight doesn’t have to be,” she added. “I’m finding a way that I can help, and how I can benefit people in the future in any sort of way.”