After only being a setter for two years at Simpson, senior Marissa Salber has made her mark by achieving 1,000 assists on Sept. 10 in Texas during their win against Schreiner University.

Salber knew her goal was going to be achieved once they arrived in Texas, but was unsure which game it was going to happen in.

“I was keeping an eye on it a little bit because I knew I was close. I needed, I think, 50 assists going into four games in our Texas tournament, so I figured I was gonna hit it,” Salber said. “I just didn’t know when I hit that milestone Saturday morning during our win against Schreiner, which was cool that it was a win.”

She explained that once the game was over, the amount of support she got from her parents, teammates and the community meant a lot to her. 

“I just felt a lot of love and support from my teammates. Then my coaches told me congrats, even just walking around Simpson on Monday and Tuesday getting congratulated by the baseball and soccer coach,” she said. “One coach even started clapping for me when seeing me on campus. Everyone has been very supportive.”

Junior Rachel Hardwick explained that she was not surprised when Salber achieved her goal due to her motivation and love for the sport.

“She is one of the hardest workers on the team and has always been determined to accomplish her goals, on and off the court,” Hardwick said.

Assists in volleyball are the only stat that relies on two other teammates, which made her think it was “a really cool accomplishment.”

When it comes to her future goals as a player this season, she said she wants to achieve 1,500 assists, but Salber also doesn’t want that to get in her head or in the way of achieving her overall goal.

“My goal every year is to win the conference championship and I think that we have the talent to do that this year,” she said. “I think just focusing on what we need to do to win and focusing on the positives is really what’s gonna make the difference in achieving this goal.”

Volleyball manager and sophomore Kirsten Wolf believes Salber’s leadership and being a “great hype woman” help the team more than she realizes.

“Marissa knows how to get us going and knows when we need a reality check. She is like the glue for our team as she just brings us together on the court with her role as a setter,” Wolf said.

During her time at Simpson, Salber explained that the program has increased not only her knowledge of the game and the talent of the athletes but also the bond between the team as a whole.

“Since working with my coaching staff, my understanding of the game of volleyball has improved but also just growing the team environment and growing together is a really cool feeling,” she said. 

Salber is ready to leave her mark at Simpson and make the team’s goal a reality: ARC Conference Champs.