By Emme Townsend
The scoreboard lights are shining in the third set. The blue and white ball comes soaring over the net. The receiver passes to the setter. As she sets the ball for her teammate to hit, the crowd starts to roar. The ball smacks the ground on the opposite side of the net, and the sophomore is swarmed by teammates.
Addison “Addie” Phillippe has earned her 1,000th career assist in only her second year of high school volleyball.
On Tuesday September 20, the Delta girls volleyball team faced Muncie Central at home. The Eagles defeated the Bearcats in three sets, 25-14, 25-6, and 25-11.
Phillippe was coming up on her 1,000th assist heading into the match, and decided that this would be the one.
“I looked at my hitters at the beginning of the game and told them I wanted to get my 1,000th,” Phillippe said. “I told them they had to put balls down, and they had my back.”
During her journey to 1,000, Phillippe dedicates her success to her coach, Kylie Johnson.
“I’ve had great coaches all throughout my career,” Phillippe said. “Kylie has coached me since I started Munciana, and she’s really helped me improve as a player.”
Phillippe is playing her fifth year at Munciana Volleyball Club. On her 12’s team, Coach Johnson led Phillippe and her team to runner-up at nationals.
Reaching this setting milestone was not unplanned. Phillippe knew she had to put in the work to reach this goal.
“I started setting in seventh grade, and that’s when I decided I wanted to reach 1,000,” Phillippe said. “I just didn’t think I would reach it my sophomore year.”
Phillippe’s teammate and friend Mallory Robbins says that Addie always brings positivity to the team.
“Addie is overall a supportive teammate,” Robbins said. “She wants everyone to do their best, but will also be hard on you if she needs to.”
Being only a sophomore, Phillippe says she is going to work to a future goal of 2,500 assists by the end of her senior season.
