When Seymour’s Olivia Fish first started playing volleyball as a freshman, she didn’t even notice the record boards in the gymnasium.

Now, her name will be on there twice after setting two school records in her junior season this past fall.

Fish finished the season with 492 kills, breaking the single-season kills record against Brownstown Central and breaking the all-time school record for kills against Bloomington South.

She also helped lead the Owls to a 26-5 season that once featured a 17-match win streak heading into postseason play.

Due to her performance this season, Fish has been named The Tribune’s All-County Volleyball Player of the Year.

“It was unbelievable,” she said of breaking the records. “This year, it was one of my goals. It pushed me in a different way to beat those goals.”

Once she realized they were within reach as a junior, the competitive drive in her wanted to achieve it with still one season left to play.

“I wanted to beat it this year so that next year, I can just blow it out of the water so that no one can touch it,” she said.

But despite breaking two individual records this season, Fish was much more focused on the team.

She felt like this season more than any other she has been a part of, Seymour was a complete team.

“This year, I think we played as a team,” Fish said. “Play as a team, play as a family because you’re not out there alone on the court. This year, that was probably our biggest difference. We all knew what our jobs were.”

When the Owls got rolling on that win streak, it was a special feeling for Fish.

“The beginning, it felt awesome,” she said.

“This season was totally different than my seasons in the past. The flow of it was just so fun. When we would get on those rolls, I thought we were unstoppable.”

She did admit, though, that toward the end of the win streak as Seymour neared postseason play, it started to creep into the team’s mind.

“We started realizing we were on that roll, and we sort of let up at the end,” she said. “I think that’s what might’ve been one of the reasons that we didn’t get the outcome we wanted.”

Seymour had its season end at the hands of Providence in the sectional.

Even though it didn’t end the way they wanted, Fish believes the perception of Seymour volleyball has changed.

The team could sense the difference in the energy around the program, including those who showed up to games.

“I think it made not only the players but everyone in the town and county look at us different,” Fish said. “When I think of Seymour, I don’t really think of volleyball. But this year, our student sections and our fans that showed up, it was a major difference than my freshman and sophomore years. This year, we made a name for ourselves, and people wanted to come watch.”

In addition to leading the Owls in kills, Fish also led them in digs with 289.

She said whatever head coach Angie Lucas needed her to do, she tried to focus on that no matter if it was offensive or defensive.

Leadership was another area where Fish thought she improved this fall.

“I love that position of being the leader on the court,” she said. “I like the players looking to me when they have a question. I want them to look at me. I wasn’t the only one. They looked to Cali (Cummings), Addi (Lemon), all three of the seniors. Everyone knew they had their back.”

Fish, who is already committed to play volleyball at Wake Forest University, still has one season left for the Owls.

The excitement built up around the program and the bitterness left in the team’s mouth with how this season ended have her excited for what’s to come next year.

“I think everyone is hungry,” Fish said. “They didn’t get what they wanted in the final outcome, and I think that kind of lit a fire under us, and we want to come out blazing next year.”

Remaining members of the All-County volleyball team:

Reagan Nuss, Brownstown Central, Sr.

Kamzi Gross, Trinity Lutheran, Sr.

Stella Kleffman, Trinity Lutheran, Sr.

Ruthie Bingham, Trinity Lutheran, Sr.

Cali Cummings, Seymour, Jr.

Bailey Tabeling, Trinity Lutheran, Jr.

Erin Singleton, Brownstown Central, Sr.

Kalee Borden, Brownstown Central, Jr.

Kelsey Wischmeier, Brownstown Central, Sr.

Nadia Lakins, Brownstown Central, So.

Addi Lemon, Seymour, Jr.

Addison Darlage, Trinity Lutheran, Fr.

Paige Lawrence, Seymour, Sr.

Kennadi Lakins, Crothersville, Sr.

Elayna Ord, Crothersville, Sr.