In volleyball, a kill happens when a player’s attack lands for a point, a powerful spike or a well-placed shot the other team can’t return. For Evelyn Haarmann (11), those moments have added up over the years. This season, she reached a milestone only a few high school athletes ever see: 500 kills. This achievement does not only mark her consistency and skill, but her dedication to the sport.
“I was really excited and happy because I’ve been hoping I could get [500 kills] since my freshman year, and it was fun to have my friends supporting me and my family,” Haarmann said.
While her friends and family have supported her through this milestone, there has been one person who has been there for it all.
“It’s been fun playing with my sister (senior Olivia Haarmann) because we get to talk on the court together and we are usually in the same rotations together …” Haarmann said. “Then on the car rides home, it’s fun to talk about what happened.”
While playing with a sister might cause competition, it also allows the sisterhood to grow on the court.
“I don’t think we usually get on each other if each other makes mistakes. We usually just stay happy and support each other,” Haarmann said. “We always talk about what happens after, so we never get mad at each other.”
Haarmann first started playing club volleyball in fourth grade, but the sport requires more than just practicing — it is also about how to keep a balanced life.
“[Being an athlete means to me] playing my sport mentally and physically, trying to get through it and doing something that I love … I usually eat good the night before, and then the day of I eat a lot of protein,” Haarmann said. “And then mentally, just remembering what I have to do in order to play good.”
Since her freshman year, Haarmann has been pushing for the 500 kills goal, and now that she is in her junior year, she has her eyes set on a new record.
“After the game that I found out [about 500 kills] it was at 780,” Haarmann said. “I want to try to get to 1000 kills hopefully by my senior year.”
