Friday Night Sports Hero: Abby Hassett

NORTH PLATTE, Neb. (KNOP) - This week’s Friday Night Sports Hero feature Hershey Volleyball standout Abby Hassett. Abby began playing volleyball as a result of watching her older sister play. Abby began playing the sport and fell in love with it.

“So my freshman year my bigger sister she was a Senior and so that was one of the big reasons I wanted to live up to her expectations I wanted to show her that I can be good she can just look down and be like wow,” says Hassett.

Beginning on the team as a freshman Abby has seen a lot of great leaders come through the program. Now that she’s a Senior it is her turn to be one of the leaders on the team. Head Coach Sam Kennedy says it’s players like Abby who help to promote a winning culture. Speaking of winning culture Abby is helping lead the Panthers on a 14 game winning streak.

“Ya know she’s a very kind person so it feels like she knows the right thing to say to the girls when they go in the huddle she doesn’t get too down on herself, she’s very competitive too. So, if she does something she wants revenge if she messes up she wants to go out there and try again to get it right the next time so I admire that about her,” explains Kennedy.

Teammate Kate Vaughn, the team’s Libero, says Abby is always pushing everyone on the team to give their all and continue to work to get better.

“In practice she’s always going 100% you can always tell by her face she gets this like face and you’re just like watch out Abby’s coming,” Vaughn says.

Abby says her favorite memory of being a part of Panthers volleyball was during her Senior Season when the team was competing in their home tournament. The Panthers rallied to beat a very good Gothenburg team and then went on to win the entire tournament.

“Our second tournament would’ve been at our home and we overcame Gothenburg and Gothenburg’s a really hard team and overall we were all just really happy that we beat them and we won the trophy and it was just like a great accomplishment for everybody and we all were just really happy,” Hassett explains.

As far as college goes, Abby is still undecided. She is open to playing college and is interest in Norfolk and Mid Plains.

“I love the sport of volleyball. I love playing it. It’s just one of my favorite sports so I am thinking about it, but I’m not 100% sure,” says Hassett.

Best of luck to Abby on the rest of her Senior season with the Panther and with all her future endeavors.

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