Student Athlete of the Week: Amelia Mitchell

HARRISONBURG, Va. (WHSV) - Volleyball seemed like a natural fit for Harrisonburg High School’s Amelia Mitchell when she began playing in eighth grade.

“Well I am quite tall,” Mitchell said.

Mitchell and her friends joined the new team at their middle school.

“They wanted to try a new sport as well so we all kind of were like let’s all do it together,” she said. The community in it just made it all click.”

Heading in to high school, she drew the attention of the coaches because of her height. It was her game, though, that stood out right away.

“When she moved up to varsity in the 10th grade, she really had come into herself,” Harrisonburg volleyball coach Hannah Bowman said. “She really developed the skills, the hand-eye coordination and the vision on the court and started to become a really smart player.”

Just like on the volleyball team and the soccer team, where she’s a goalkeeper, Amelia sets a strong example in school.

“She is one of the hardest working students that I have,” Melody Wilson, an English teacher at Harrisonburg High School, said. “In my particular content I’m privileged to work with a lot of high achievers, but she has established herself even above.”

Whether it’s on the court or in the classroom, Amelia describes herself, simply, as competitive.

“I really like winning. Volleyball is a game of points and every point you get, it feels like winning every time.”

“She definitely has the competitive spirit underneath and you can see that in the way she works and the way she wants to get better,” Bowman said.

Mitchell’s game has improved drastically in many realms, becoming an all-district player in 2019.

“For example, serving,” Bowman said. “I know that’s been a goal of hers to get better at that and she’s really focused on it and worked hard on it and she’ll move on to the next thing.”

In her last season with the Blue Streaks, Amelia hopes to be able to get back on the court.

“I just look forward to playing. I just really enjoy doing it.”

Mitchell hopes to continue playing volleyball in college, while majoring in computer science.

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