Born To Set: Sophomore Season Propels Pawelka To New Heights; Confidence

HOW DID A SOPHOMORE RECEIVE THE DISTRICT 15-6A SETTER OF THE YEAR AWARD?

In volleyball, a setter is the quarterback of the team. They run the offense, know the intricacies of their teammates and bark orders as the coach on the floor.

A sophomore?

Klein Cain’s Kelly Pawelka was just that sophomore, who emerged as one of the city’s top signal-callers and passers last season.

“I was born to be a setter,” she laughed. “I’ve grown up playing volleyball my entire life. It’s something I need to do. I love it and I’m always working to get better.

“To be honest, though, I was really surprised at my season. I didn’t think I would do anything that big. I had great support from my team and my coaches, and I grew in the sport so much. I took on a lot of roles as an underclassman.”

With that valuable experience at such a young age, Pawelka continues to find ways to improve her game as she builds her resumé.

“I’m working on becoming a true leader on the court to will us to success,” she said. “We can do big things this year. My biggest goal early on is to learn where my new hitters like to be set. We have a completely new team and I have to build great chemistry on the court.”

She even sounds like a veteran, right?

In actuality she’s still just a kid who loves the music of Mac Miller, Ross Lynch and J. Cole, and gets lost in the off-beat, comedy-drama Bojack Horseman on Netflix. She dreams of playing volleyball at the University of Houston and hangs with her friends and family in her free time.

But at the center of her life is volleyball.

“I love the competitiveness of the sport,” she said. “But mostly, I’ve made such a big circle of friends, who now feel like family, through volleyball. I just can’t see myself outside of the sport.”