The NCAA leaned on a different kind of star power for the national anthem at the Final Four. Four women, all NCAA student-athletes themselves, represented the surviving basketball teams and sang as a quartet.
Ahead of Florida basketball's Final Four matchup with Auburn, former Trinity Catholic and University of Florida volleyball player AC Fitzpatrick represented the Gators, singing alongside Mary Katherine Malone of Auburn track and field, former Duke University track and field thrower Moorea Mitchell, and the University of Houston swim junior Jenna Kerkman.
Fitzpatrick is one of the most decorated high school athletes in Marion County history. As a senior, she won the 2019 Florida Gatorade Volleyball Player, was named the 3A Player of the Year and led the Trinity Catholic Celtics to a state championship in 2018.
Fitzpatrick ended her prep career as Florida Dairy Farmers' Miss Volleyball and an Under Armour All-American. She then began her college career at Penn State before transferring to Florida as a junior. As a college volleyball player Fitzpatrick recorded 459 kills, 95 blocks and 202 digs.
You can watch Fitzpatrick and her fellow collegiate athletes perform here.
Today's National Anthem is performed by student-athletes representing each school in the #MFinalFour! 馃檶#MarchMadnesspic.twitter.com/CMAq6DnP3t
— NCAA March Madness (@MarchMadnessMBB) April 5, 2025
This article originally appeared on Ocala Star-Banner: Former TC, UF volleyball player AC Fitzpatrick sings the Final Four national anthem
