36 | DECEMBER 9 • 2021 S arah Calanchi left her mark on the Novi High School volleyball program, and not just on the stat sheet. Her energy, enthusiasm and unending pos- itivity will be remembered as long as her 519 digs this season that rank No. 10 all-time in the team’s record book. The 5-foot-1 senior was a two-year team captain and three-year starter for the Wildcats at defensive specialist and libero, perfect posi- tions for her volleyball skill set. “I’m an energetic player. I love running all over the court, ” she said. Novi volleyball coach Kacy Byron agreed with that assessment. “Sarah’s description of how she plays hits the nail right on the head, ” she said. “She’s also a great teammate. She was always uplifting everyone. She even sent texts to the coaches, thanking them for helping the play- ers get better. This girl has a heart of gold. ” Calanchi’s never-ending energy resulted in 910 digs during her Novi volleyball career, along with 265 assists, 83 aces, three kills and one block. Her energy hasn’t been confined to the vol- leyball court. She’s earned three Scholar-Athlete awards (minimum 3.25 grade-point average) from the Kensington Lakes Activities Association. Also, she’s a member of leadership and recycling clubs at Novi, has just begun work- ing with the school’s unified basketball team, and has jobs outside of school. Novi won its second consecutive KLAA volleyball championship this season, but the No. 9-ranked Wildcats didn’t get past the regionals in the Division 1 state tournament. There was a good reason for that. Three of last year’s four Division 1 state semifinalists were in the regional last month that Novi hosted. The Wildcats lost to eventu- al state champion Birmingham Marian in four sets in the regional semifinals. Novi was a Division 1 Final Four team during the 2020-21 season, a bizarre season because of the COVID-19 pandemic. “It was a never-ending season; but it was a season of a lifetime, ” Calanchi said. “The strangeness actually started in the summer with having to hold team tryouts on our school’s baseball diamond because we couldn’t be in the gym. ” The season started late, then Novi had to stop playing and practicing for two weeks and quarantine in September 2020 because of COVID-19 infections on the team. The Wildcats’ season was halted again in November 2020, this time as part of a state- wide high school sports shutdown ordered by the Michigan High School Athletic Association just before the volleyball state quarterfinals because of rising COVID-19 cases across the state. After a nearly two-month layoff, Novi beat Ann Arbor Skyline in the quarterfinals. The Wildcats lost to Lowell in a five-set match in the state semifinals in Battle Creek. “We played Lowell in Kellogg Arena, which has a capacity of 6,200, ” Calanachi said. “Because of COVID restrictions, there were probably 50 people in the stands. ” The long season and pandemic restrictions did provide plenty of time for Calanchi to hang out with her teammates. That was a plus. “Our team became real close, and it showed on the court, ” she said. “Some of my best friends are girls who graduated last year. ” Family and friends are very important to Calanchi. “I love the way Sarah treats her family and friends. They always come first, ” Byron said. Reuben and Debbie Calanchi, Sarah’s par- ents, are middle school teachers in the Walled Lake and Farmington school districts, respec- tively. Sarah’s brother Ryan, 14, is a freshman at Novi High School. Sarah, 17, wants to play volleyball in col- lege, most likely at a Division II or Division III school, while pursuing a career in marketing or advertising. Her recruiting process started when she was a sophomore. She hopes to make a college decision in the next couple months as she completes her career with the West Bloomfield Township- based Team Detroit Volleyball Club. Send sports news to stevestein502004@yahoo.com. She Digs Volleyball SPORTS Novi High School coach says standout Sarah Calanchi ‘has a heart of gold.’ STEVE STEIN CONTRIBUTING WRITER DEBBIE CALANCHI RICK CUMMINGS Sarah Calanchi Novi High School volleyball star Sarah Calanchi goes all out to dig up a shot.