Gutierrez and her Brandeis team are set to meet Cy Falls, Jordan and Klein in the event’s first round. A sophomore, she earned a spot in the team’s starting lineup as a freshman, and, after an excellent first season with them, should have an even more important role with the team. A player with remarkable technical skills, Gutierrez is also very confident in the back row and doesn’t hesitate to take the lead and step up to make plays. She’s very consistent and reliable in serve-receive, often comes up with jaw-dorpping digs and also sets at a high level.

A freshman, Gutierrez made a strong impression playing for the Brandeis team that completed its schedule in Houston with four wins and four losses. Extremely confident and steady, she played like a veteran on the backcourt and was one of the pillars of the team. Gutierrez was extremely reliable with her passing and showed excellent ball control to deal with some tough serves that went her way. That also showed when she played defense, as her ability to read the game generated many opportunities for her to get on the ball, and she did well in each of them. Gutierrez’s superior technical skills and confidence were also helpful when she had to set in transition as the libero didn’t hesitate to use her hands to do it and got to deliver accurate balls to her hitters.