On Wednesday, Oct. 23, senior Gracie Reinhart hit the 500 kill mark in her volleyball career. In a fierce match against Waynesboro, Reinhart successfully made 12 kills to meet this milestone—leading her team to a well earned victory.

Getting to this point in her career has taken lots of hard work, practice and time dedicated to the sport.

“In the off season I regularly go to the gym, mainly to improve my vertical but also for my strength,” said Reinhart. “I also get myself in the zone before games by listening to music while stretching. This has always been a way to get me in a good state of mind before I play.”

Reinhart’s parents, Susan and Scott Shaffer, have had a major impact on her and the way she plays.

“My parents are always supporting me and helping me become better,” she said.

Reinhart’s stepfather, Scott, helps to plan out workouts to push Reinhart to be a stronger player. Her mother attends all of her matches and helps out with planning and decorating for games like ‘Dig Pink’.

“If we’re talking about a professional athlete, Jordan Larson has definitely inspired me because she coaches for Nebraska and plays in the Olympics. She is a really well rounded player which has inspired me to get better at all skills,” Reinhart said.

These people have contributed to the success and growth of Reinhart not just as a player, but as a person as well.

After high school Reinhart plans to attend Elizabethtown College to play Division III volleyball while majoring in occupational therapy.

On Oct. 26, the team travels to Chambersburg for their district quarterfinal game at 1 p.m. with hopes of continuing to the district semifinal and final games.