Emily Milton, Chloe Yokitis
Editors
Seniors Chloe Wilmot and Milan Rex were honored for breaking ACHS records for most assists and kills, respectively, in September and October. The ACHS volleyball team recognized both players with a speech, a bouquet of flowers and a ceremonial signed volleyball.
Wilmot was honored for achieving 2,038 career assists— well over the previously held record of around 800.
“It means a lot to see the whole team come together and celebrate one person and their achievements,” said Wilmot, who was honored before the varsity game against West Potomac on September 20. “And [it’s important for our younger teammates,] knowing that it’s going to be them someday, and they can see us do it and have that goal.”
During the ceremony, Junior Varsity Coach Eva Irwin explained Wilmot’s monumental assists record as well as her additional individual and team accomplishments in a speech. Irwin also highlighted Wilmot’s high school academic achievements, including being an honor roll student, and commitment to play Division I volleyball at Duquesne University in Pittsburgh next year.
“She’s been a definition of what we want all our student athletes to be: high-level on the court and high-level off the court in the classroom,” said ACPS Athletic Director James Parker.
In addition to holding the school record for both assists and aces, a state record may be in Wilmot’s future, according to Parker. “She has the school record now, and if she gets a hundred more or so [assists] this year, she will be ranked in the state overall,” he said.
Wilmot, who has played volleyball since childhood, credits her teammates for her achievement.
“I wouldn’t be able to achieve my assists without my hitters, like Milan, and I’ve been with her since I was a freshman,” said Wilmot. “So none of this would even be possible without [the team].”
Rex was honored for breaking the ACHS record of most career kills with 1,013 before the October 11 home game versus Lake Braddock.
“This makes her the all-time leader by more than 150 kills, and we still have at least five games left— so she could surpass that even more so,” said Head Varsity Coach Danielle Thorne after the ceremony. “It’s really just an incredible feat because it’s probably something that no one’s ever even going to pass ever again.”
To Rex, the team’s support is the most important thing about her achievement.
“It meant a lot to me that everyone was there and supporting me,” said Rex. “Knowing that everyone was there for me too was really warming.”
Rex has been a setter on varsity for four years and will continue to set at the University of California at Santa Barbara, where she is committed to play Division I volleyball.
“We will miss Milan next year, but we know that the University of California at Santa Barbara is gaining a dynamic setter who will no doubt make her mark there as well,” said Coach Irwin in her speech about Rex’s accomplishments. Rex, like Wilmot, has been on honor roll all throughout high school.
Wilmot and Rex’s achievements couldn’t have happened without each other and the rest of the team, Coach Thorne says.
“[It’s] absolutely nuts,” said Coach Thorne. “The cool thing is that when Chloe got her 2,000 assists, Milan had 1,000 kills, so Chloe’s had 1,000 assists with her. It’s kind of a cool thing because it’s the two of them together, helping each other to get these monumental records.”
Featured photo by Emily Milton for Theogony
