Granby Memorial High School senior Jayne Hiatt (#21) set a new record this season when she racked up her 1,000th kill in volleyball. Her achievement marks the first time in Granby volleyball’s 18-year history that a player has accomplished this amazing feat.
Jayne started playing volleyball in the eighth grade through the Husky Volleyball Club and is now a decorated member of the high school team. She has been recognized as a four-time All-State player, chosen as a member of the Husky 17 National Smack team, and honored as the North Central Connecticut Conference Championship MVP. For Jayne, volleyball is a fast-paced and fun sport that requires discipline, teamwork and sheer athleticism. “Throwing yourself on the floor for a ball and just making these amazing saves makes you feel really good about yourself,” Jayne remarks.
Even an untrained eye can see that Jayne is special on the court. Whether she’s serving, diving for a bump, setting the ball for her teammates or spiking it over the net herself, she has established herself as a true force. She knows exactly where to send the ball to be just out of reach of her opponent’s outstretched arms. Her reaction time for hits is impressive, stretching herself into leaps or folding herself into bumps in time for the perfect hit. With Jayne’s strength and power, she helped make Granby volleyball the team to watch this season.
Program founder and head coach David Sprowson describes Jayne as an “impact player” who has been a key competitor since her freshmen year. While most people are familiar with the gravity of a high school basketball player achieving 1,000 or 2,000 points, the difficulty of scoring 1,000 kills in volleyball might be more difficult to grasp. “Most of the shots in basketball are worth two or three points, but in volleyball, they’re only worth one,” notes Sprowson, “so it takes a lot more attempts, a lot more swings, to get 1,000 points in volleyball than in most other sports. It’s very impressive that Jayne was able to do that.”
In volleyball, a kill is when “a hitter goes up and hits the ball over and either the opposing player doesn’t get a hand on it or it hits the floor right away or they shake it and they can’t get it back over the net,” Jayne explains. This is distinct from “aces,” which are points earned on a serve, or “digs,” where a spiked ball is defended from touching the ground. Each of these different gameplay actions taps into Jayne’s skillset and carries a unique pleasure for the three-time team captain. “I love playing defense,” Jayne asserts, “I like it even better than hitting. I’m a hitter—that’s my position—but I play all the way around … Half the time I’m up in front hitting and blocking, and half the time I’m in the back row, passing or serving.”
Strong players like Jayne have allowed Granby’s team to dominate this season. Please see Katie O’Neil’s article in this month’s issue.
As Jayne heads to college next year with the goal of becoming an ultrasound technician and sonographer, volleyball will continue to be a part of her life. “I couldn’t live without it,” Jayne declares.
