Killing It

Senior Caitlin Walker has been pushing to make her last year at West Ashley High School count. While she has been studying hard, she’s been playing even harder. “I nominated Caitlin as the Athlete of the Week because of her impressive blocking and hitting this past week,” says Head Volleyball Coach Virginia Broadway. In the Senior Night game against Summerville on October 14th, Walker had six kills and two kill blocks. She ended the game by scoring the winning point with her last kill of the night. “It was an amazing hit! Summerville was stunned,” says Broadway. “Caitlin was a beast on Senior Night! It was definitely her best game of the season. I am so proud of her,” says Assistant Volleyball Coach Ashley Kennerly. Walker said this game was one of her greatest achievements because she had no errors, she played really well, and she scored the winning point.
When Walker was a freshman at WAHS, she decided she wanted to play sports. “I just needed a sport to play. I like the challenge of the sport and [volleyball] is fun to play,” says Walker. With the help of her coaches and teammates, she has spent the last four years improving her techniques. Walker recognizes that the ten hours she and her teammates practice each week has been instrumental in her success this year. During practice, the team focuses on their rotations, hitting, blocking, serve receiving, and serving. She focuses mostly on her hitting and closing her block. Walker says the best advice she ever received about volleyball was from volunteer assistant Amir Khaledi: “Don’t hit with your purse.” Walker explained that it means to hit harder and that this advice is what motivated her to improve her hitting this season.
“Her dedication, motivation, and responsibility make the team and me better,” says Broadway. “She comes into every practice and game with a positive attitude. She is always wanting to improve and setting a great example for the JV players. I have been so lucky to have coached Caitlin,” says Broadway. Walker is not just a good role model on the court; she is also a good role model for her classmates. Walker is a member of the National Honor Society, the Archery Team, and has maintained above a 4.0 GPA her entire high school career.
Outside of school and sports, Walker loves photography and participating in outdoor activities like hunting, hiking, or fishing. She also works on the weekends but plans to pick up more shifts during the week once the season is over.
When Walker graduates in the spring of 2016, she plans to go to Clemson University and major in science. She wants to become a Wildlife Biologist and work for one of the state government wildlife organizations. Walker does not plan to play volleyball when she goes to college, but it is a game she will continue to enjoy.