Boyd Buchanan Volleyball Player Katie DeLay Becomes State Record Holder

    Katie DeLay made the Boyd high school volleyball team as an 8th grader.

And yes, there were some growing pains.

"Yeah, when I weighed 90-pounds in the 8th grade I couldn’t serve. Couldn’t serve at all. My wrists were about this big around. So I could barely hit the ball straight."

    But DeLay morphed into one of the best volleyball players in the state of Tennessee.

According to the Bucs coaching staff, DeLay holds the state record for the most career digs at 4,378, the state record for digs in a season at 1,383, and the state record for most aces in a match at 32.

Said Boyd head coach Alfie Dodd,"You think about it. If she finishes this year really strong, she’ll be close to 5,000 career digs. That’s 1,000 digs a season. Plus she has two people in the back row playing defense as well. That’s remarkable."

Said DeLay,"I mean I’m just excited to play. I didn’t come out here for the records. It’s a nice thing that comes along with it."

    So what makes DeLay so good?

Said teammate Halie Williamson,"She’s got a good attitude. Obviously she’s athletic. She has got quick feet. She can read the ball well. She’s just a good athlete all around."

    Coach Dodd calls DeLay the quarterback of his team’s defense.

"Her IQ for volleyball is very high. She anticipates very well. She sees the alleys behind the blocks."

Said Williamson,"She’s like the ringleader. She talks a lot. She tells people where to hit when they’re hitting. She tells people where to stand and where to go."

Reporter-"Do you feel like a coach?"

Chuckles DeLay,"Not quite. But I still feel like I can have some or a little bit of that role."