As senior outside hitter Kailey Skurka nears the end of her four-year varsity volleyball career at Lake Central, a milestone is within her reach.
With seven regular-season matches and at least one postseason match left to play this season, the 5-foot-11 Skurka needs 51 kills to reach 1,000 in her career.
“It’s something that I’ve been working toward since freshman year because I always knew I could do it, especially with four years on varsity,” she said. “I feel like it would just mean a lot to see all the hard work pay off.”
Skurka, a Seton Hill commit who had team highs of 195 kills, 115 digs and 219 serve receptions this season before the Indians (11-6, 7-1) played Duneland Athletic Conference leader Chesterton on Tuesday, has been a key cog in a balanced offense filled with quality hitters.
But as Skurka’s numbers climb alongside the team’s wins, her legacy may be unrivaled, according to coach Naveed Nizam.
“It’s a huge thing for her legacy here at Lake Central,” Nizam said. “We’re going to start something called the 1,000 club — whether it’s 1,000 assists, kills, digs — and try to create a plaque that has those names on there at some point.
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“But I also think she’ll be remembered as a leader and a very likable player who dominated the court. Things like that, other players can look at and say, ‘Hey, I want to be like Kailey Skurka one day.’”
Even Lake Central senior outside hitter Arielle Carter-Reed, who has 91 kills, 109 digs, 215 serve receptions and a team-high 23 aces, is motivated by Skurka. They’ve played together since they were 12, and to this day, Carter-Reed is driven in part by Skurka’s success.
“It elevates my game because I want to play as good or even better than Kailey, so it pushes me to try and work more,” Carter-Reed said. “If she gets a kill, I want to get a kill. If she gets a good dig, I want to get a good dig. If she gets a good pass, I want an even better pass.
“I have a lot of respect for her, and I like to listen to whatever feedback she gives me and the team in general. I want to make Kailey proud because I know she has high expectations for herself and the team, so I like to try and play my best for her.”
Carter-Reed and other teammates have followed Skurka’s lead to success this season. But there’s still plenty of work left to be done.
“Hopefully, we’re tying for first in the DAC, and then also winning sectionals for the first time and dancing and trying to compete more,” Skurka said. “I feel like we can win. We have the team to win. It’s just a matter of what team will show up that day.”
Skurka will take that drive to college.
“I’m looking forward to meeting new people and competing at a higher level because I like to compete and I like the quickness of the game and winning like everyone does,” she said. “But I’m also really excited to push myself harder and meet a bunch of new friends and also get away and start a new life.”
Noah Poser is a freelance reporter.