Correspondent photo / Lowell Spencer Crestview’s Grace Auer reached her 1,000th dig and 1,000th kill Thursday against LaBrae. The Rebel star is committed to Findlay University.

COLUMBIANA — Being a successful volleyball player is not a one-size-fits-all proposition. Different players have different skill sets that allow them to be outstanding. Crestview Rebels standout senior Grace Auer has shown that hard work and dedication can propel a player to excel in many ways on the volleyball court.

Last Thursday she reached the trifecta in volleyball. Having already recorded her 1,000th assist last year, she notched her 1,000th kill in the second set of the Rebels’ 3-0 victory over the Labrae Vikings on Thursday. Then, late in the third and final match, she recorded her 1,000th dig, placing herself in the Rebels’ record books.

“I always wanted to get 1,000 assists, and once I started getting closer and closer, I thought, ‘Wow, I can do it.’ But without my teammates, I wouldn’t have been able to do it. It’s just amazing,” Auer said. “This year I just play every game wanting to win — to play for the team and hopefully play in regionals and make it to state this year. That’s our goal.”

The three milestones did not come just out of pure luck. Auer has put the time into the gym honing her skills and working to improve her game.

“I have spent every moment I could, every practice while growing up I would come here (Rebel Gymnasium). My mom would put me in the ball carts. I have always been around volleyball,” Auer said. “It’s crazy now that I’m a senior, but I’m so excited for this year and the years to come in volleyball.”

One of Auer’s biggest supporters and inspirations is her mother, who just so happens to be a longtime successful coach for the Rebels. Ironically, it was against LaBrae two years ago that Coach Auer reached the 300-win mark.

“I was a coach before I was a parent,” coach and mother Alisha Auer said. “So, I have been coaching for a very long time. I think the girls saw me as a coach as they were growing up. It has been a pretty easy transition. I treat them like the rest of the kids, and they have treated me like everyone else treats me in the gym, fortunately. It’s not always easy that way, but it has worked out.”

Mom added about Grace, “She has a 4.0 GPA, she’s on the path to being a valedictorian, and she is a very hard worker, a good kid. She doesn’t always keep her room clean,” she said with a laugh. “But she is a hard worker.”

The years to come in volleyball will find Auer playing for Findlay University as she has given them a verbal commitment. The Oilers participate in the Great Midwest Athletic Conference and are currently the top volleyball team in the league.

This year, however, Auer, who is a captain, has helped to power the Rebels to a perfect 9-0 record, and 7-0 in the MVAC Grey Tier. She has also been a big part of the Rebels’ 84-game win streak in the MVAC.

Grace is the middle of three daughters of Alisha and Robert Auer. Older sister Brenna also played on the Rebels volleyball and basketball teams, having graduated in 2020. She also has a younger sister Alaina who is an outstanding player in her own right on the Rebels volleyball team. In addition, she has an older brother Mitchell who was a tremendous soccer player on the Rebels’ state runner-up team in 2021 and currently playing at Saint Francis University.

“I’m definitely the crazy one,” Grace Auer said with a chuckle. “I also have an older brother. They are awesome siblings who are all athletic and super talented. So, growing up with them, and being ahead of me has given me a goal to be my best and play for every point.”

She continued, “My parents, my older sister Brenna, Mitch to Laney, everyone has always had my back. They have always been there to support each other, no matter what.”

“My son played soccer, and the three girls played volleyball. The soccer team went to the state finals, where my husband was one of the coaches. So, it has really been a blessing to be able to be involved in their lives and their athletic careers,” Alisha Auer added.

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