Coming into this season, Glenelg senior volleyball player Sarah Girard knew that she would be jumping high into the air and swinging her arm many, many times.
After her team graduated a trio of players — Morgan Perry, Molly Calvert and Lauren Wright — who had contributed 570 of the team's 860 kills, Girard knew that the missing offense was going to have to come from somewhere. And as a returning all-county hitter who helped her team get to the state semifinals, Girard only had to look in the mirror to see whose shoulders the Gladiators' offensive load would fall on.
"Coming in I knew we were going to be like a baby team ... We were just like, 'it's my senior year, lets have fun.' But we weren't going to just go down and accept loss," she said. "I would stay after school sometimes and work in the weight room, increase my vertical or even at home doing agility, strengthening my arm. Last year I was an effective hitter, but this year I knew without Morgan and Molly and Lauren, I would need to make up for those kills."
With her mission laid out before her, Girard went to work. After 18 matches, Girard had leapt into the air 1,081 times, pounding the ball for a county-best 432 kills, a mark 220 higher than her previous season-best. In the process, Girard led her team to a county and regional title and its first trip to the state finals since 2008.
For her efforts, Girard has been named the Howard County Times and Columbia Flier volleyball Player of the Year.
"Last year I think people expected us to do well, so it was kind of about meeting expectations, and we obviously had some really great players on the team so it was disappointing that we didn't get (a state championship)," she said. "This year, no one expected us to do well so we said: we're going to go out there and do our very best."
Coach Jason Monjes said that Girard was keenly aware of what her team needed of her.
"She really understood that we didn't have the same team. We were a pretty young team. She learned how to lead by example, and really, how to lead positively," he said. "The fact that she had such a great statistical year is the last thing on her mind."
Although the team was young and mostly inexperienced, Girard had a powerful weapon on her side: her younger sister, Rachael, the team's junior setter.
"I love playing with Rachael ... not only physically — her sets are great all the time — but mentally. I know we say this a lot, but we really work well together," Sarah Girard said. "I wouldn't have gotten any kills without Rachael's sets … I had a great setter."
Monjes said that even outside of school, the sisters had the team's success in mind.
"It's almost like they're twins. They would spend time at home talking about different plays," he said. "They would think together about trying to make the team better."
The sisters' volleyball story began before they were even born, when their parents — Ray and Youngmi — found each other on the court.
"My parents actually met playing volleyball, so they always tried to teach me and my sister, but we didn't really start playing until we were 11 or 12," Sarah Girard said. "I took a few camps and really loved it, and then I played on the 13 Elite team at Maryland Juniors and it was just uphill from there."
Girard showed an early knack for playing defense on her club team, but when she came to Glenelg her talents were needed on the attack. Still, her defensive abilities have helped the team just as much over the years.
In four years, Girard has compiled 808 kills, 1,151 digs and 156 aces.
"She's like a pocket knife," Monjes said.
Girard has narrowed her college choices down to Swarthmore and Johns Hopkins, and plans to play defense primarily at the next level.
"Mentally, I was always there. It's just physically I'm not built to be a hitter," Sarah Girard said. "I'm short. It's a lot on my body to jump really high every time and swing hard every time."
Girard, who also played soccer growing up and practiced martial arts, said that playing so many different positions has helped keep the sport fresh.
"I like changing it up, it's fun," she said. "I kind of like going from club to high school so I can do different things. I feel like if I did the same thing I wouldn't love it as much. But not doing it and then getting thrown back into it, it makes me appreciate it more."
Named to the all-county first team are: