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Gainesville High senior volleyball player Kaylin Walden is only in her second season with the Lady Red Elephants, but after helping the team to the state playoffs last year and spending a season with her Gainesville teammates, Walden has developed a strong bond with the other ladies on her team that has helped them improve even more from 2011, according to coach Randi Orr.
“She is very knowledgeable of the game,” Orr said, “Now, she has developed the trust she needed in order to have the girls trust her in decision making.”
Walden is a leader on and off the court, as evidenced by her 142 assists in four matches over the past week.
For her efforts, Walden has been names The Times Athlete of the Week.
Going into this season, Walden said that she didn’t foresee this kind of personal success after having the summer off, but has surprised herself with her play.
“I thought it was probably going to be a little rough, but when I get out on the court it totally changes,” she said.
Orr said that Walden has brought a new style to the Lady Red Elephants and has changed some aspects of their game.
“It’s a lot more intense style of playing,” she said.
Now that Walden has developed chemistry with her teammates, who she says are almost like her sisters, the intensity can increase even more because Walden knows the players she’s assisting.
She has even encouraged some of the Lady Red Elephants to join club volleyball teams, and Orr said that they take that experience and mix it into the play at Gainesville.
“She has kind of set the bar for us to take it to the next level,” Orr said, “We set our team goal to win all of our region matches and the region title this year.”
As much as Walden has changed the Lady Red Elephants, however, she says that Orr’s coaching has changed her play as well.
“I’ve learned Coach Orr’s tactic more, and she has shown me what I need to work on as her player,” Walden said, “I’ve sort of rearranged my play some.”
Orr trusts Walden to lead Gainesville on and off the court because she is “a strong spirit but a gentle heart,” which has helped her form bonds and anchor a team that has become a force in the region.
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