Mount Vernon’s Bri Walker Reaches 1,000 Career Assists

Bri Walker, a senior at Mount Vernon High School, was recognized on Tuesday for reaching 1,000 career assists, a significant milestone worth celebrating.

"Reaching the figure of 1,000 assists during my senior year is very important to me since it reflects all the hard work, time and dedication I have invested in volleyball over the course of my high school career," Walker said. "It's not merely a matter of the figure; it's also about the teammates I've been able to set up, the memories I've created and all those people who have supported me up to this point."

Softball was Walker's first sport. She started playing travel softball when she was five years old and did not take up volleyball until the seventh grade, when Coach Hargrove introduced her to it and put her in the role of setter.

What started out as a chance to give something new a try soon turned into a true passion. By her freshman year, Walker had given up travel softball in favor of club volleyball and had decided to focus on improving her abilities as a setter.

Brittany Rogers-Traylor, her mother, has seen the effort involved in achieving this landmark moment, including the early mornings, the long practices and the sacrifices needed to take part.

“As this achievement shows,” Rogers-Traylor said, “it is a reflection of her leadership, selflessness, determination and commitment to her teammates.”

She also thanks her teammates and her coaches for helping her to reach 1,000 assists.

She said that her teammates had trusted her with the responsibility of getting them into the best position to make a play and that her coaches had encouraged her to improve and had helped her to become the player that she is today. "I never would have reached 1,000 assists without their support, encouragement and belief in me," she stated.

Walker's association with Mount Vernon goes beyond the volleyball court; she has also taken part in softball and cheer, as well as DECA, the Student Council and Leaders of Tomorrow. She was chosen to attend the Rotary-sponsored RYLA leadership program, in which students build up their confidence, communication skills and teamwork through a variety of activities and group experiences.

Her interests are also influencing the plans she has for after graduation. She hopes to go to the University of Oklahoma, study business marketing and later work as a sports marketing content creator for the NFL.

For Rogers-Traylor, the award is not only a tribute to what her daughter has achieved but also to the person she has become.

“Reaching 1,000 career assists is an incredible achievement,” she said, “but I'm even more proud of the person she has become during all that time.”

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