Isabella Myers: A Hidden Gem

<p>Straying away from the basic club teams to watch, I wanted to highlight an Elite Athletic Academy club player that doesn’t get enough notice in the volleyball world. A 5’11 senior setter from Ballard Memorial High School, [player_tooltip player_id="68123" first="Isabella" last="Myers"] caught my eye back in July during Western Kentucky University’s volleyball camp. I didn’t realize that this girl quite literally could do it all, and her numbers on the school year only back up the fact. </p> <p>To begin, finding a setter that can also play true defense is like hitting the jackpot. Then, try and imagine a setter that can also go up and be<img class="alignright wp-image-177018" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pd/uploads/2022/01/Screen-Shot-2022-01-28-at-9.33.01-PM-239x300.png" alt="" width="207" height="260" /> your most offensive threat. Next, see if you can train one to be your best blocking presence. You probably just thought this player is too good to be true, right? False. [player_tooltip player_id="68123" first="Isabella" last="Myers"] brings it ALL to the table. In every single statistic, she led the team. Myers tallied 387 kills which averaged 3.87 a game! With her primary position as setter, she had 471 assists in just three rotations which meant 4.53 assists per set. To top it off, Myers dug 386 balls on the year, blocked 40, and totaled 59 service aces.</p> <p>Yes, these statistics are insanely crazy and almost unheard of... A setter that can do it all, but what is equally as important is who Myers is as a person. She started playing the game back in 4th grade, and from there, she’s craved the volleyball world and the emotions it brings. Myers said, "This sport has given me people and life experiences that have made me the person I am today. Once I got a taste of winning, I never wanted it to stop. I would always give everything I had to make sure a win was possible. The thing I love most is that feeling of a win and knowing I gave it my all to achieve it." Humble, competitive, passionate, determined... The list could go on. </p> <p><img class="wp-image-177016 alignleft" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pd/uploads/2022/01/Screen-Shot-2022-01-28-at-9.32.45-PM-300x298.png" alt="" width="225" height="223" />Myers named off two of her favorite volleyball memories to me where the first one simply involved her club team winning the JVA World Challenge in Louisville, KY. This one meant a lot to Myers because it "was the best feeling to win something no one else in the area ever has. Our club director shed happy tears and we were so pumped to make him proud." The second memory, in my opinion, truly just shows Myers’ character. She was in 8th grade and started her first varsity game. A ball was shanked across the floor, and Myers was "dead set on showing the coaches and other players that I deserved the spot I got." She sprinted to the ball, laid out, and got the ball up on the opponents side. The ball immediately lands on the line, and the whole crowd went wild. Myers comment was, <strong>"That was the moment I knew I would never stop hustling because crazy things can happen."</strong></p> <p>In a moment of pressure, [player_tooltip player_id="68123" first="Isabella" last="Myers"] chose confidence and strength as just an eighth grader in a varsity match. The willpower and competitive mindset of this kid is just plain extraordinary and something any coach would love to have on the floor. Recently, [player_tooltip player_id="68123" first="Isabella" last="Myers"] ended her high school career with a district championship and a region runner-up title. Ballard Memorial lost to McCracken County High School in three sets to lose the region final, and of course, you’d think that’d be depressing for any senior. Myers was sad about the loss, but the comments she had about the ending were nothing short of gracious and grateful.<img class="alignright wp-image-177021" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pd/uploads/2022/01/Screen-Shot-2022-01-28-at-9.33.18-PM-171x300.png" alt="" width="157" height="275" /></p> <p>"I will always give credit to McCracken for the great teams they produce. For my senior year, Ballard Memorial’s season was everything I could’ve asked for it to be. Coach Solomon and Coach King pushed us everyday to be the best players we could and coming from a high school with the total number of students under 400, I think we did just that."</p> <p>[player_tooltip player_id="68123" first="Isabella" last="Myers"] is a student-athlete that works hard everyday to become the best version of herself on and off the court. Still uncommitted for college, Myers truly just wants to "make whatever team better and to get an education." I don’t know about you, but [player_tooltip player_id="68123" first="Isabella" last="Myers"] is a dependable and determined player that I’d want in my gym day in and day out. It’s not just because of her outstanding volleyball skills and knowledge but her flat out genuine personality, dedicated attitude, and huge heart. Here's what Myers told me when I asked her how she wanted to be remembered.</p> <blockquote> <p>"Being remembered by being good at a sport is great, don't get me wrong, but I've always found it more important to be a role model. Not just for other kids who want to play a sport but a role model for kids in all aspects of life. I want to be remembered as the person who gave everything she had to her sport and gave other kids a dream and ambition." </p> </blockquote> <p>I rest my case. This kid is a <em>hidden gem</em>.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;</p>