By Jessica Able, Record Staff Writer
Alexa Filley got the surprise of her lifetime Jan. 9. The 5-foot-9-inch senior volleyball player from Assumption High School was awarded the 2013-2014 Gatorade National Volleyball Player of the Year while delivering a speech during her theology class.
“I was so surprised and I didn’t know what was going on,” Filley said in an interview at the school Jan. 30.
Filley is the first volleyball player from Kentucky to win the national player of the year honor. She was awarded the 2013-14 Gatorade Kentucky Volleyball Player of the Year in December, becoming the eleventh Assumption student to win the state award.
April Ross, an Olympic silver medalist and professional beach volleyball player, delivered the award to Filley. Ross earned the player of the year honor in 1999-2000.
Filley, a graduate of St. Martha School, said it was an honor to receive the award from Ross.
“I was shocked to see April carrying a ‘ginormous’ trophy. I was really surprised,” she said.
In Filley’s career, she had 1,248 assists, 334 digs, 102 kills, 58 blocks and 41 service aces. The 2013-2014 Rockets had a 36-6 record and won its fourth straight state championship.
Filley was named the 2013-2014 Under Armour Second Team All-American. She also was named MVP of the state tournament each of the last two seasons and is a two-time First Team All-State selection.
The award “recognizes not only outstanding athletic excellence, but also high standards of academic achievement and exemplary character demonstrated on and off the field,” a news release from the Gatorade company said.
Filley has a 3.91 grade point average and has volunteered with the Special Olympics and with a first-grade class at Watterson Elementary.
“Assumption has made me a better all-around person,” she said. “I’ve been given a lot of opportunities to help others.”
Filley has committed to play volleyball at Auburn University, where she plans to study pharmacy.
Being a part of the volleyball team at Assumption taught Filley that hard work pays off.
“It taught me to be a better leader. I’m kind of a quiet person but volleyball taught me to be a vocal leader,” she said.
She is now a finalist for the Gatorade Female High School Athlete of the Year award to be presented at an afternoon ceremony prior to the ESPY Awards in July.
Right now Filley is focused on finishing her senior year at Assumption. She said she is looking forward to the prom and spending as much time as possible with her friends before she leaves for Auburn in June.
