Harrison Central trio hits 500-mark volleyball milestones

Three Harrison Central volleyball players have reached major personal goals early in the season.

Juniors Leah Grady and Mikayla Pelegreen and senior Hannah Grady each recorded career benchmarks, with Leah and Hannah surpassing 500 assists and Pelegreen reaching 500 digs.

“Leah is a two-year letter winner and is now working on her third,” Head Coach Grace Godish said. “This pre-season we asked each of the girls to set some personal goals, and that was one of the big ones for Leah. She is a hard worker and a great volleyball player. I am proud of her hard work and dedication to this sport. I can’t wait to see what the rest of this season and next year has in store for her.”

“Achieving 500 assists has been a goal of mine since I started playing volleyball,” Leah Grady said. “As a setter I have the opportunity to create scoring opportunities for my teammates. I have been fortunate to have great coaches and teammates who have always supported me.”

Godish said Pelegreen has excelled in the libero role. “Mikayla is an athlete. Last year I challenged her with the libero position, and she took the opportunity to show everyone else what I saw. She is a fearless player and is willing to do whatever she can to keep the ball in play. I am proud of her for reaching this milestone. We hope to see 1,000 in the next year.”

“This was one of my goals for the season,” Pelegreen said. “I would like to thank all my coaches and teammates who have supported me and pushed me to get better. I could not have done it without them.”

Hannah Grady reached her 500th assist in a match against Edison. “She reached the 500 assists milestone on Saturday against Edison, while only needing two more to reach it. She gave the team 10 assists in the game,” Godish said. “Hannah is a great athlete. She is determined and hardworking. Hannah is a huge leader on the team and will do whatever it takes to give the team the best outcome. I am so proud of her for reaching this goal.”

“I, like Leah and Mikayla, set my goal last season to reach this milestone,” Hannah Grady said. “This was something I really wanted to accomplish this season. I have worked hard and even rested to prepare for our matches. I really realize that anything that I did accomplish needed the help of my coaches and teammates. I especially recognize that this accomplishment was aided mostly by our team hitters.”

“These three ladies are some of the most hardworking and determined athletes that I have ever coached,” Godish said. “They put their team before themselves and it is obvious in their work. I am so proud of them for reaching their goals.”