Junior volleyball player hits 1,000 assists

It has been a busy season for the Williamstown High School (WHS) girls volleyball team.

The Braves have won 22 out of 27 regular season games. They won the entire Tri-County Conference Tournament on October 29 against Kingsway Regional High School, after beating Gloucester County Institute of Technology in the semifinal round earlier that day and beating Gloucester Catholic High School in the quarterfinal round the day prior.

In addition to all the team has accomplished, there has been some individual victories.

On Saturday, October 10, junior setter Khloe Lynch reached 1,000 assists across her entire volleyball career. The team traveled to play two away games that day, first against Pinelands High School, then against Ocean City High School.

Lynch, who started playing volleyball at eight years old, has been in love with the game and dedicated most of her life to it. This milestone is a reflection of years of time, skill, strength and commitment.

She was inspired to play volleyball, because her older sister played for WHS.

“I would go to all the games her freshman year, and as I sat there and watched, I was like, “Hmm, this actually seems fun,” Lynch said. “So, I started doing little clinics, and I would go to open gyms with her, and then it just clicked from there. I knew that was my sport.”

Lynch played at Eastern Volleyball Academy in Glassboro, and she eventually moved around to different club teams in the area, like East Coast Crush in Martlon, which she still plays for outside of high school season. She also played for the Williamstown Middle School team. Additionally, Lynch dedicates a lot of time to strength training.

While she was on the junior varsity team her freshman year, she had been preparing for varsity the whole time. By her sophomore year, she was on the varsity team. However, she had a new task: Learn to be a setter. In her career outside of the high school team, she is a libero, but the coaching staff knew she could handle the challenge and what is required to be a successful setter.

“It’s been exciting (coaching Khloe) because she is not by trade a setter. Outside of high school she is a libero. She’s a defensive specialist,” said WHS volleyball coach Chris Sheppard. “We turned her into a setter the summer leading into her sophomore year. Because of her quickness and athleticism, and just her overall volleyball skill…it was a spot we felt we could upgrade a little bit with her volleyball IQ, and she did a great job for us last year and this year.”

Lynch’s skill helps her teammates be successful on the courts, which is important to Lynch. While she is happy about her personal milestone, she is more proud of her team’s hardwork, especially their hard work during the game she hit her 1,000th assist.

“I was really excited in that moment, but I was honestly more excited about how we played that game against Ocean City and beat an undefeated team,” Lynch said. “Celebrating with my team after that was great, and I was just so happy with how we did that and how hard we’ve been working.”

At time of press, Lynch has over 1,200 assists under her belt. She attributes a lot of her success to her coaches and teammates.

“Our coaches really push us to be our greatest selves all the time, and the hitters around me are the reason why I’m getting these assists,” she said. “My teammates and I are all doing so great because of the expectations being set around us.”

Above all, it is Lynch’s love of the sport and love for her friends on the team that keeps her going. It is a big part of the entire team’s consistent hardwork and victories.

“High school season is literally my favorite time of year. I love my team. I even love when the seniors graduate, because there’s still the younger group of girls that come through that I love,” Lynch said. “We’re just always together, and it’s just like being with my friends every single day, playing a sport that I really love. It’s great.”