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Hart Reaches 1,000 Career Kills
11/4/2018 5:31:00 PM | Volleyball
Whether she knew it was coming or not, junior outside hitter Alexis Hart made history during Saturday's match against Michigan State.
Hart entered the day needing just 12 kills to push her over 1,000 in her career. She made it, and added two more for good measure.
"I did not know," Hart said. "It's cool, but I wouldn't be able to it without my teammates."
Hart is now Minnesota's active kill leader at 1,002 total and is second on the team for the season with 197. She is the first member of the Gophers to reach the 1,000 mark since Sarah Wilhite-Parsons in 2016.
The milestone tacks on to an already impressive career for Hart, who has come in second for kills and kills per set each season since she was a freshman. She was the AVCA North Region Freshman of the Year, Freshmen All-Big Ten and was named an AVCA All-American Honorable Mention as a rookie. Last season she made the AVCA All-American Third Team and was an All Big-Ten Selection.
At this point in her career it's easy to draw comparisons between Hart and another Gophers great, Daly Santana. Both powerful outside hitters, Hart is the first Minnesota player to reach 1,000 career kills as a junior since Santana in the 2014 season.
Santana, 2015's Big Ten Player of the Year and 2016 Olympian, also saw her final season end where Hart's first season did: a national semifinal.
"Daly was good, and Lexi is good. We're very fortunate to have good players here," head coach Hugh McCutcheon said. "So yes, I think there's a parallel with two really good hitters."
Hart registered 14 kills on Saturday, one of four Gophers players to hit double-digits. She was hesitant to take on too much of the spotlight after setting her career milestone, though, and thanked her teammates and setter Samantha Seliger-Swenson for their help.
With just six matches remaining in the regular season, contests like Saturday help upperclassman leaders like Hart set the stage for what's to come.
"A match like tonight shows that everyone on the team is good," Hart said. "It's teaching everyone that we need to start from the beginning instead of waiting and digging ourselves in a hole."
Written by Emily Polglaze
Gopher Athletic Communications Assistant
Hart entered the day needing just 12 kills to push her over 1,000 in her career. She made it, and added two more for good measure.
"I did not know," Hart said. "It's cool, but I wouldn't be able to it without my teammates."
Hart is now Minnesota's active kill leader at 1,002 total and is second on the team for the season with 197. She is the first member of the Gophers to reach the 1,000 mark since Sarah Wilhite-Parsons in 2016.
With that last kill, @Lexihart19 reached 1,000 career kills!👏🎉 pic.twitter.com/QUHAtJoIML
— Minnesota Volleyball (@GopherVBall) November 4, 2018
The milestone tacks on to an already impressive career for Hart, who has come in second for kills and kills per set each season since she was a freshman. She was the AVCA North Region Freshman of the Year, Freshmen All-Big Ten and was named an AVCA All-American Honorable Mention as a rookie. Last season she made the AVCA All-American Third Team and was an All Big-Ten Selection.
At this point in her career it's easy to draw comparisons between Hart and another Gophers great, Daly Santana. Both powerful outside hitters, Hart is the first Minnesota player to reach 1,000 career kills as a junior since Santana in the 2014 season.
Santana, 2015's Big Ten Player of the Year and 2016 Olympian, also saw her final season end where Hart's first season did: a national semifinal.
"Daly was good, and Lexi is good. We're very fortunate to have good players here," head coach Hugh McCutcheon said. "So yes, I think there's a parallel with two really good hitters."
Hart registered 14 kills on Saturday, one of four Gophers players to hit double-digits. She was hesitant to take on too much of the spotlight after setting her career milestone, though, and thanked her teammates and setter Samantha Seliger-Swenson for their help.
With just six matches remaining in the regular season, contests like Saturday help upperclassman leaders like Hart set the stage for what's to come.
"A match like tonight shows that everyone on the team is good," Hart said. "It's teaching everyone that we need to start from the beginning instead of waiting and digging ourselves in a hole."
Written by Emily Polglaze
Gopher Athletic Communications Assistant
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