The Dubs volleyball team is currently in the first round of the playoffs and hopes to defeat Richmond Hills High School this Wednesday to advance to the next round. Leading the charge is Avery Horton, a North Atlanta senior and captain of the team. She has played NAHS volleyball all four years and continues to stand out her senior season. 

This year Avery Horton has played 40 sets and has put up some very impressive stats. She has 58 kills, 29 solo blocks, and 51 total blocks. For those who aren’t familiar with volleyball terminology, this is some really good stuff. All of these stats are well above the national average, and she still has more games to improve them. 

Making Hortons’ skilled play even more impressive is that she has only been playing volleyball since the 6th grade. This was after she watched a college match and fell in love with how the game was simultaneously individual and team oriented, a perfect balance. After becoming interested in the sport, she began playing at Woodward Academy before coming over to North Atlanta. Outside of school play, she competed for the club teams A5 and Rio Volleyball club. “One thing that I really love about volleyball is that everyone has an opportunity to show off their talents, both individually and collaboratively. That’s been the case in all of my playing experience, across all the teams I’ve gotten to be a part of” Horton said. 

Horton’s favorite part of volleyball is celebrating with her teammates after scoring a point. The team comes together and celebrates a great hit or smart play and she loves being able to see her team’s passion culminate in the moment. Of course, it’s not always easy. Like all sports, volleyball has its highs and lows, but Horton doesn’t let the lows get her down. She has learned to embrace them and allow them to make her better. “Volleyball has taught me how to celebrate losing and use it to make myself better. It’s been an important lesson that has made me a better leader for the Dubs,” Horton said. 

Although Horton has had a fabulous high school career, she doesn’t plan to play volleyball in college. Though she has been contacted by coaches from CU Boulder, Sarah Lawrence College, Life University, Kennesaw State, Northern Vermont, and others, she instead hopes to attend Columbia University and become a lawyer or climate scientist. “Although volleyball has been amazing to play in high school, I’m not pursuing playing in college,” said Horton. “I love the sport and the lessons I’ve learned, and I’ll carry them with me as I pursue my ambitions off the court.”

Horton has stood out as one of the most valuable players on the volleyball team this year and throughout her entire NAHS career. She continues to preach positivity along with focus in order for her team to succeed, and is hoping to bring the team deep into this year’s playoffs, for one final run.