Junior hits personal mark; Ocean City High School volleyball is 19-1
OCEAN CITY — Bradee Boyd was flying high Oct. 14 against visiting Oakcrest High School.
The Ocean City High School junior volleyball player was leaping and smashing the ball onto the Falcons’ court with regularity. The Oakcrest girls were a good defensive team, able to dig many of Boyd’s blasts and other Red Raider kill attempts for much of the first set, keeping it close.
That may have limited her, but it didn’t stop her. Boyd put a punctuation mark on the first set, which Ocean City won 25-21, by earning a kill for set point.
In the second set, in fairly quick succession fed by assists from her teammates, Boyd hit more kills. They were her 998th, 999th and 1,000th in less than four seasons.
When she hit 1,000, a big smile broke out on her face. Her teammates and coaches cheered and swarmed Boyd with hugs in a brief celebration as family and teammates held up signs acknowledging the achievement.
With a few more kills in the second set against Oakcrest, which Ocean City won 25-11, Boyd had 14 for the game.
She accumulated 108 kills through eight games.
Boyd just surpassed teammate Brynn Williams, who has 100 kills this season playing in the team’s 18 games to that point. Boyd and Williams are among the top 15 kill leaders in the Cape-Atlantic League.
This is a personal record for Boyd, not a high school record, which will be in reach in her senior year. This counts her time from eighth grade through this, her shortened junior season. As a transfer student, Boyd had to sit out the first 10 games this fall.
Boyd played for Mainland Regional High School her freshman year, transferred to Calvary Christian in Florida for her sophomore year and to Ocean City High School this season.
“We really always have loved the school, that it’s right on the beach. The girls are great. The coaches are great,” she said about OCHS.
Her sister, Rylee, is a freshman on the team. She leads the teams in assists (151), service points (110) and aces (62), and has 55 kills of her own through Oct. 14.
Their mother played Division I volleyball in college and the girls have grown up around the sport.
Bradee Boyd started playing travel volleyball at 7 years old. She was a libero, then became a setter and started playing beach volleyball. When she went to tryouts around 11-12 years old, a coach told her she was going to be an outside hitter.
“That’s kind of where it took off,” she said.
Boyd stands 5’11” and has impressive leaping ability, shown not just on the kills but on her powerful serve. Through eight games she had 64 service points and 42 aces.
“I really just love the camaraderie of the sport. I play beach (volleyball), too, and it’s just such a difference from indoor, having five other girls on the court,” Boyd said. “I really love the energy that it brings and celebrating after a big point, just the momentum and the friendships too.
“It’s such an amazing sport and it brings so many amazing people together,” she added.
Boyd likes the vibe and energy of the team.
“Even when you’re losing, you can have 11 other girls to lean back on. It’s just such a family and I’m so grateful for all the amazing people I’ve met,” she said.
As for that losing part? For the Red Raiders, not so much.
Boyd quickly became the team leader in kills, but it wasn’t like the Ocean City girls were doing poorly before she was able to suit up.
In only their third year as a varsity team, the Red Raiders had a 17-1 record through the Oakcrest match. They were 9-1 before Boyd became eligible to play.
“Bradee is an amazing, amazing athlete, and an amazing player, but she’s also like a really, really good, down-to-Earth kid,” head coach Jillian Garza said. “She made a personal sacrifice by coming here. She sat for the first 10 games and she stayed positive that entire time and hyped her girls up that entire time.
“She’s been a light for all of us,” Garza said.
The coach acknowledged the team was doing well before, but the addition has contributed, obviously, to the team’s lineup.
“She’s definitely an added bonus,” Garza said. “Her sister as well.”
Later in the week, the Red Raiders improved to 19-1 with a 2-0 win over Pleasantville (25-20, 25-11) and a close 2-0 win over Donovan Catholic (25-22, 25-22).
Bradee Boyd got another combined 31 kills and 10 aces in those games and sister Rylee another 33 assists.
The Red Raiders have the best record in the Cape-Atlantic League and were 12-0 in the National Division. Our Lady of Mercy Academy leads the American Division with a 15-4 record. Cedar Creek, the only team to beat Ocean City this season, is 13-7.
Asked how it feels to get a kill, one of the most exciting plays in volleyball, Boyd talked instead about preparation. She focuses on her footwork to get in the right position as she watches the set, and then on the spot on the opposite court where she wants to hit.
Boyd needed about 200 more kills to surpass 1,000 in her high school career after the Oakcrest game, before hitting another 31 later in the week. She is looking forward to that achievement, but she really just looks forward to playing volleyball.
“It’s so easy to love this game,” Boyd said. “It’s my first love, really. I couldn’t imagine my life without it.”
– STORY and PHOTOS by DAVID NAHAN/Sentinel staff
