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08/18/2016 12:00 AMCaitlyn Keish was a four-year varsity athlete at Sacred Heart Academy (SHA) who enjoyed a ton of success on the volleyball court. As a senior captain last fall, Caitlyn guided the Pacers to their first win versus Mercy in her four-year tenure with the program, as well as the SCC Quinnipiac Division championship.
“My volleyball team this year won our division for the first time in a while. That was one of our team goals and we beat Mercy, which was the first time I beat Mercy in either sport in all four years, so that was a huge thing,” says Caitlyn, who also played four years of varsity basketball with the Pacers. “It was so exciting seeing everyone so excited. To see the banner go up was so exciting. It’s great to see that go up and be in the gym, so it’s always remembered.”
Caitlyn started playing volleyball as a 7th-grader and was a member of SHA’s varsity squad for all four years at the school. The fact that Caitlyn got so much experience from the get-go prepared her to put forth her best effort as a senior.
“Obviously, being against better competition as a freshman, I got to learn quicker from the upperclassmen and they all helped me a lot since I was new to the game,” Caitlyn says. “As a senior, I felt really confident because I was surrounded by varsity players for four years.”
Caitlyn led SHA with 201 kills last fall and she also contributed 266 digs to go with 37 blocks, plus 43 aces on 188 service points. One of the keys to Caitlyn’s success was that she constantly focused on her footwork to make sure she was always in the right position.
“I played both front and back, so I never had a chance to rotate out, which made it easier for me to lead everyone and be a captain since I was always on the floor. It also allowed me to see from every perspective, so I could teach some of the younger girls that were coming up,” says Caitlyn. “I usually hit from the front row, but I played defense, too, so it’s a lot of moving around. When the ball comes to me, I need to pass it and then quickly get ready to hit.”
Caitlyn’s position was outside hitter, but she patrolled all ends of the court for the Pacers. Caitlyn’s versatility and intensity made her a valuable asset for Head Coach Mia Malafronte’s squad and she wound up claiming a couple of prized distinctions.
“She was our outside hitter who played all the way around, meaning she was also our defensive specialist. Honestly, I wanted her on the floor at all times because she had such an amazing energy. A lot of times, she would carry the team. It’s easy to get down when you’re playing a game and you’re losing, but with one kill or stroke of the arm, Caitlyn could inject energy back into our team. She could bring the crowd back into it,” says Malafronte. “She’s got to be one of the better players that I’ve worked with in the past eight years. She won All-Division, All-Area, and was nominated for All-State. She was in top 10 in the state in kills and could really do anything asked of her. I put her in the back because she could get to anything. She’d put it up, so our setter could get to it. She was a leader in digs, as well, which is pretty impressive for a girl like Caitlyn.”
Caitlyn, who will attend UConn this fall, loved holding down a captain’s position with SHA and really enjoyed unifying her teammates in the Pacers’ quest to achieve success.
“It means a lot to me. I loved being the captain, being able to rally everyone together,” she says “I learned that it’s not always easy, but it’s rewarding in the end when you do something well as a team that leads to victory or success.”