Sitting in the crowd during a Bravette’s volleyball game, it’s not uncommon to hear the masses chanting, “smack it Sackett” or “Holy Hannah.” Yet Hannah Sackett, 16, initially started playing because it was simply something her friends were doing.
“I hated sports,” Sackett said. “ I was bad and un-athletic.”
And while Sackett continues to love the camaraderie that comes with competing, the Flathead High School junior laid to waste her un-athleticism and gained confidence.
“I have become more competitive,” said Sackett. “This is how I became known in high school. Coming out of my shell, being more confident. Seniors would say ‘aren’t you that freshman on varsity?’ It was so exciting for me.”
And boy can she hit the ball. Last year, Sackett achieved the most kills in the state; something she said will be hard to repeat because of the overall offensive team strength.
“It feels so good when you get that kill,” she said. “It’s that feeling you get – everybody in volleyball knows that feeling – when you better the ball.”
Her third year on varsity, Sackett said her biggest challenges this year are playing “all the way around,” working the back row and balancing her school work with volleyball. Sackett is an International Baccalaureate candidate – a two-year intensive program.
“I like saying I’m doing all the hardest courses in each category,” she said of pushing herself on and off the court. “The reality is hitting me that next year I’ll be a senior. I have only so long to be here.”