2019 Miss Volleyball Spotlight: Winning and Keona Salesman go hand in hand

<p>There are a lot of words to describe <strong>Keona Salesman</strong>, but perhaps the best word is “winner.”</p> <p>Of the 10 finalists for Miss Volleyball in 2019, only one can say they have won a state championship every season of their prep career, and that is the Bronson outside hitter.</p> <p>“She’s a four-year varsity athlete that has won three state championships and has been a six-rotation player for the last two,” Bronson coach Jean LaClair said of why Salesman should win Miss Volleyball. “She’s had a big impact in three state titles and not many kids can say that.”</p> <p>LaClair got her first glimpse at Salesman during Keona’s middle school days. It didn’t take LaClair long to know she had a talent on her hands.</p> <p>“When you looked at the build of her as just a seventh grader, you knew she was gifted athletically,” LaClair said of Salesman.</p> <p>Salesman gradually expanded her role with the Vikings in her freshman season of 2016. Playing four rotations on the outside, Salesman had 12 kills while hitting .550 in the Class C final, a four-set win over Cass City.</p> <p>As a sophomore, Salesman took over the role of being the team’s primary attack as a six-rotation outside. She posted 36 kills over the two matches in Battle Creek, leading the Vikings past Calumet and Laingsburg for another championship.</p> <p>Last year, Salesman put up 42 kills over the two matches in Battle Creek as she won her third title and helped Bronson claim a fourth consecutive state championship.</p> <p>“It is a lot of pressure to keep up the appearance of being the defending state champion the last four years,” Salesman said. “You want to make sure you are living up to the expectations of Bronson volleyball and you want to keep winning championships because that is how its been throughout your entire time in high school.”</p> <p>Since last season, Salesman has focused on improving her hitting, which was already pretty strong, while also focusing on her defensive play.</p> <p>“Our focus the last year has been increasing the velocity of her hits, so we have worked on getting more of her body involved on her swing and not just relying on her arm,” LaClair said. “We’ve also worked on her back-row play. Not only is she a great hitter, but she is pretty darn good in the back row as well. Coaches may feel relief when she rotates to the back row, but she has a great serve. She’s successful no matter where she is on the court because her all-around play has improved year-to-year.”</p> <p>Salesman’s success with championships and her all-around skills made her an easy choice to be a Miss Volleyball finalist. She joins former Bronson teammates <strong>Kiana Mayer </strong>(2017) and <strong>Kiera Lasky </strong>(2018), who were also finalists for the award.</p> <p>“I have always wanted to be a finalist and be able to follow in the footsteps of my past teammates like Kiana (Mayer) and Kiera (Lasky),” Salesman said. “It means a lot to me, because I know it means a lot to Bronson’s program and all the time and effort the coaches have put in to making myself and my teammates the best we can be.”</p> <p>Unlike some of the other finalists, Salesman has been a multi-sport athlete at Bronson, not putting much time into club volleyball. Salesman has played basketball and ran track for the Vikings, as she enjoys the high school sports environment.</p> <p>“I have played basketball since I was little and I fell in love with both basketball and volleyball, so it’s been important to me to play both sports,” Salesman said. “Track also helped me with my explosiveness and becoming a better all-around athlete. Playing other sports is something I have always wanted to do. I have had people pressure me to just play volleyball, but that’s not something that I really ever considered.”</p> <p>Salesman is stepping up her leadership role as a senior for Bronson this season. The Vikings remain one of the top teams in Division 3, as they currently sit fifth on our latest team rankings.</p> <p>“We really didn’t know what to expect of this year’s team because we lost a lot, especially on defense,” Salesman said of the 2019 Vikings. “We have a lot of hard-working players and things have been improving each day. I think we are on the right track to be playing our best at the end of the season.”</p> <p>Despite other offers from programs like Buffalo, Salesman is committed to play at Ferris State University next fall. The Bulldogs have been a top GLIAC program for years and consistently find themselves in regional finals in the postseason.</p> <p>“Ferris is a great spot for her and she should go in with aspirations of being an All-American and winning a national championship,” LaClair said. “She will have some catching up to do to get accustomed to the elevated speed and play, but Keona is a competitive person that will do what she has to do to be the best player she can become.”</p>