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Last week Sydney Lechner reached her 1,000th assist in volleyball for the Bellwood-Antis Lady Blue Devils.

The senior setter is close to beating the school record, which currently stands at 1,498. Sydney only has 461 more assists to go after Thursday’s win over Williamsburg,

Sydney started playing volleyball in 6th grade in Altoona. She tried out for the team at Bellwood and played all through middle school and high school.

“My first day I was really nervous but on my team were my best friends Bella, Faith and Karlie,” said Sydney. 

She chose volleyball because she wanted to try new sports. Before that she did basketball, gymnastics, and cheerleading.

Sydney said her dad inspired her to play volleyball, because he played volleyball in college.

“He believed from the start that I would do great things if I played,” she said.

Sydney has done many things in the offseason to get this far. She plays on a travel volleyball team called HVC, which competes in many tournaments, and when she’s not at a tournament she spends time in the gym to improve and get stronger. In the summer Sydney also goes to  volleyball clinics to improve and work on her skills.

“Along with all the clinics I attend, I also go to various camps so I can learn more and help others,” Sydney said.

Now that she has reached 1,000 assists, Sydney feels more confident in herself and  more motivated, as if all the hard work she has done has paid off, but she’s got bigger goals in sight.

“Beating the school record would be a dream come true,” said Sydney. “ I hope I can break the record, and I know that I have the best hitters and support team to get me there.”

Sydney has always hoped that she would make it this far, even though she gets discouraged at times. In the past two years she has had some injuries, but that hasn’t stopped her. Instead, they helped Sydney realized that she needed to work harder if she wanted to make it.

“It is definitely an accomplishment to be one of three girls (at B-A) that got 1,000 assists. My next goal is to beat the record,” said Sydney.

Sydney is planning on playing volleyball in college.

“ I have been looking into playing at Mount Aloysius for some time now, as well as attend nursing their nursing school,” she said.