Every hitter’s checklist features similar objectives with 500 kills near the top of the list. Not often do two teammates reach the goal near the same time in their careers. Mentor juniors Melody Garrett and Kayden McKinney recently reached that goal a few matches apart. Garrett reached the milestone in a five-set thriller against Kenston when she racked up 25 kills. Then she double-dipped on milestones. Garrett also reached 500 digs. She said being surrounded by leaders including Sam Hartman and Gwyneth Gill early in her career helped her develop her leadership skills. “It means a lot to me and my teammates as well because without them, I wouldn’t be in the position that I am now without them,” Garrett said. “The past teammates and coaching staff as well, having enough trust in me to be a key part of this team. To get both goals was huge. I grew up in a household with six siblings, so there’s always been that competitiveness. Mentally it gives me a lot of confidence that I can do it because sometimes mentally you’re not always there as an athlete, there’s stress and situations. Being able to hit both of those was a big mental boost for me.” McKinney was limited by an ankle injury against Kenston but she reached her achievement shortly after. Melody Garrett celebrates her 500 kills and 500 dig milestones with head coach Sam Weaver and assistant coach Alexandra Manfroni. (Photo provided by Samantha Weaver) McKinney said she’s focused on being the best hitter around her teammates to help from the right side. Establishing her swing early in matches is important, and McKinney said her teammates have the confidence in her to find a rhythm. “When it happened, there was just so much support around me,” McKinney said. “I couldn’t have done it without my setters and passers that consistently feed me the ball in those sets. Against Medina and Strongsville, those were my best hitting-percentage games ever. I had 34 kills in those two combined, it was the most positive I’ve been hitting all season. Everyone talks about things like that during the year but hitting like that and being able to make a positive impact is always the goal.” While both have been strong players for the Cardinals for the past two seasons, they are also learning from each other. Both played their freshman year and had to learn quickly. They have continued to improve their games together. “Mel also plays the exact opposite position of me so she sees the court from a different angle,” McKinney said. “We’re able to go off of each other a lot and that’s what makes our styles work so well together. We have the same goals and different angles of how to get there but have that communication both on and off the court as well.” While the two played at different middle schools, they’ve been inseparable on the court since the start of high school. They’ve both started since their freshmen years, helping the Cardinals to a conference title a season ago and their first trip to regionals since 2016. They’ve become best friends on and off the court. They have fond memories of playing together and are excited for the next year and a half ahead of them with Mentor. “It’s been really competitive, which I think is good for Mentor volleyball,” Garrett said. “We’ve been building it since my freshman year and the growth of the culture has been great. Everyone is driven to win and help each other reach those goals. Kayden has been a big part in that, she comes in every day working hard, wants to compete, there’s never a doubt in my mind that she doesn’t want to win. She wants to kill the ball every chance she gets, she’s hungry to win.” McKinney added: “As her teammate, her being a lefty, being able to use her shot and hit any set is amazing. She can hit back row, hit anywhere and be that threat. She’s accomplished so much since her freshman year. We’ve been best friends forever now, we play volleyball together all the time, here, during JO season. I think it’s great to see her accomplish everything, she’s great at what she does.” They now turn their attention to the quest for a second GCC championship and reaching their next individual goal together of 1,000 career kills. Related Articles High school volleyball Top of the Crop for Sept. 18 Mentor, Kirtland football voted top-ranked teams in AP poll High school volleyball: Mentor joins area quintet in state poll; Gilmour, Lake Catholic still atop respective divisions High school football Top of the Crop for Sept. 16 Mentor vs. Chardon girls soccer: Cardinals shake off one rough Saturday for a better one, 3-0