When Kaylin Walden transferred into Gainesville High this year from Jubilee Christian Academy, she left one of the more successful volleyball programs in the state for one that had never finished a season with a winning record.

"I was just trying something new," Walden said of the move. "There wasn't really a reason. I was just trying something out."

Good thing she did.

Along with a new head coach, Randi Orr, Walden was able to lead an improved team to a Class AAA state quarterfinals appearance and a 24-12 record, by far the most wins in program history, setting a school record in assists (711) along the way.

"She was kind of an answer to my prayers," Orr said of Walden. "I had high expectations coming in, and I wanted to develop a strong program. But seeing her court awareness and her knowledge of the game, it really set the tone for what we would do this season."

For Walden's efforts, she has been selected as the Times Player of the Year.

To reach this point wasn't easy for Walden.

In a sport that is based largely off of team chemistry, she was a fish out of water. She was a player in a new environment that had to cope not just with learning to be a part of the team, but also the transition into a new high school environment.

"That was probably the hardest part," she said. "I didn't really know anybody. I came from a very small private school to Gainesville. So, it was a pretty big transition."

As much as she helped the team, however, they helped her in her transition, she said. Getting to spend time with her teammates helped ease her transition into the school.

"If it wasn't for volleyball, I probably wouldn't have lasted very long," Walden said. "And that's really important. When you play with a team, you're like sisters. It's good to have the attitude and the chemistry. It's great to be surrounded by girls you love."

According to Orr, despite what Walden said, she never noticed any difficulty for her player.

"To be honest with you, I never saw her have any doubt in herself," Orr said. "She's very strong in what she believes, and she fit in from Day 1. You'd have never guessed she was from another school."

Perhaps the most impressive part of her season was that, in the midst of that difficult transition, she was able to not only join the team, but be a successful leader on the court.

As a setter, Walden was responsible for quarterbacking the offense, a difficult task when you know your team. It's even more difficult when you are still in the process of learning everybody's tendencies.

"As a setter, you have to make most of the decisions on the court," she said. "It takes a lot of leadership. If the hitters don't know what they're running, it throws off the whole offense. But they got to know me quick. They know what I call is what I'm going to set. Sometimes I'd make mistakes, but for the most part, it helped us have a better offense."

Orr spoke highly of Walden's ability, but also of how willing to learn she was.

"One word we throw out a lot is being a coachable player," Orr said. "Kaylin is a fighter, and she has a competitive drive. She works hard, and the work ethic trickled down to every member of the team."

Walden has gained that leadership over years of playing the sport. She began playing in fourth grade at Jubilee.

"In the school I came from, the big sport was volleyball," she said. "I was just a little girl when I started playing, but one of the coaches got me into it."

She said her mom was the one that helped push her to keep working at it.

"She always helped," she said. "She pushed me to keep getting better. Even when I do well, she pushes me to try harder."

Walden, a junior this year, will return to Gainesville next season. She and Orr both said they were looking forward to the possibilities.

"I'm very excited," Orr said. "I know she's going to grow during the offseason. It's exciting to see how much she's going to grow as a player in the next year."

For the first time, Walden will take part in club volleyball during the offseason. With the increased immersion in the sport, she expects next year to be another success.

"I think we can do well," she said. "I have high expectations. I want to say we can take region and maybe state, but all of that comes with hard work."

And beyond that?

"This is my first year in club, and that is where the main recruiting takes place," she said. "Volleyball means everything to me. It's my life. I'd love to play in college, and I'm willing to play anywhere."