Loud cheers echoed through the gym as players celebrated on the court. In a volleyball game on Aug. 24, varsity volleyball player Sydney Bray, junior, made headlines when she hit her 1000th assist. Assisting is when a setter helps a teammate score a point. Achieving 1000 assists can be difficult to earn, making this milestone more impressive. 

“[Getting 1000 assists] means a lot to me because it is hard to get and is a really big accomplishment. I am very proud that I was able to achieve this,” Bray said.  

Bryan Jones, Etowah volleyball coach, made this moment even more special for Bray when he coordinated with the fans to hold up signs with the number 1000 as she hit her assist record.  

“Any time we have an athlete that reaches a milestone in terms of a statistical category, we want to acknowledge and celebrate it with them,” Jones said. 

Since then, Bray recently made the AVCA (American Volleyball Coaches Association) Phenom List. Her accomplishments this season have generated more attention from colleges, and she hopes this will help her be able to play volleyball after high school.  

“It is my goal to play [volleyball] in college. The recruiting process has been really crazy and [getting 1000 assists] has resulted in even more colleges reaching out,” Bray said. 

Make sure to watch Bray in action at home on 10/7 at 5 p.m. Buy the tickets here.