Video: 1,076 kills sets national record
See highlights of Sarah Tabit.Sarah Tabit now owns the national record for kills in a single season, but the
Mt. Morris (Mich.) senior would trade that record for one more victory.
Midway through the second set in Thursday's District 58B volleyball final, Tabit recorded a kill to break the National Federation of State High School Associations mark of 1,063 held by Jenna Lange of Marlette (Mich.), set in 2007.
Tabit, a 5-foot-9 senior, finished the match with 19 kills to put her name at the top of the record book at 1,076, but North Branch (Mich.) won in three sets to put an end to Tabit's season.
"It's kind of hard to say how I feel right now ... about setting the record," said Tabit. "It was a difficult loss. We won't be going to regionals now."
Mount Morris beat North Branch twice earlier in the season.
Tabit said she had two goals for the season – first, for the team to reach regionals, and second, to break her own school record for kills. Needless to say, her 1,076 shattered her own school record of 893, which she set as a junior.
Mount Morris coach James Pender said her arm swing is the quickest he has seen.
"We've had some great hitters, but nothing like Sarah. She works hard at it ... lifts (weights) and does a lot of extra work," Pender said.
Tabit attributes her powerful swing to her work effort.
"I go in early to practice and stay late every day. I put in a lot of extra work."
She said she didn't find out she was closing in on the national record until her dad told her three days ago.
"I really haven't had time to think about," said Tabit. "I'm just thinking about the match."
Tabit set a school record earlier this season when in seven matches (and seven wins) in the Mt. Morris Invitational, she recorded 89 kills. For her four years at Mt. Morris, Tabit totaled 2,855 kills, which ranks fifth on the all-time national career list. Alisha Glass (Leland, Mich.), who recorded 3,584 kills from 2003-06, is the career record holder.
Tabit, who earned all-state honors as a sophomore and a junior, will attend Division II Saginaw State University with her twin sister, Hannah, an all-state setter.
According to the NFHS, Michigan holds the top three spots for single-season kills, with Tabit, Lange and Katherine Carlson (Notre Dame Prep of Pontiac). Carlson recorded 1,042 kills in 2014.
Though disappointed by the Thursday loss, Tabit said the highlight of the season was winning eight of 10 tournaments.
"We've never done that before," she said. "That's pretty cool."
So is setting a national record.
