LANCASTER, N.Y. (WKBW) — Back in November, our Good Morning Buffalo team went to Saint Mary's High School in Lancaster to send off the girl's volleyball team to their state championship tournament. During our show, we introduced you to Senior Outside Hitter Carson Tyler, who led the team to their third straight state title that weekend.
Now, following an accomplished senior season, Tyler is being recognized for her talents this year as she was named the New York State Volleyball Gatorade Player of the Year. The award is known as one of the most prestigious individual awards a high school athlete can win and it considers Carson the best volleyball player in New York.
"I was super proud of myself. I guess I always set super high standards and every time I get close I kind of raise them and make them harder to reach," Tyler said. "So when I found out, I was very very happy because it’s something I wanted to accomplish my senior year."
The qualifications for the award focus on three categories including athletic performance, academic excellence and community service. Tyler hits the nail on all three.
In her senior season, Tyler established dominance on the court. 581 kills, 83 aces, 59 blocks and 353 digs. In the classroom, she is just as stellar with a 4.0 GPA. As much as she loves playing volleyball, she also enjoys giving back to the next generation of players and coaches youth volleyball camps.
Saint Mary's is known as the volleyball powerhouse of Western New York with a legacy filled with 20 state titles. Now, Tyler is leaving behind her own. Over her career, she won three state titles and tallied over 1500 kills.
"Carson is the best player to come out of New York State in the last 10-plus years.“
By her side for the four years was Saint Mary's Volleyball Head Coach Donald Pieczynski.
"She’s got the mindset to want to be the best. She wants to be the best athlete she can be out there," Pieczynski said. "She wants to be the best teammate and you add the mix together and it’s pretty much an unstoppable force."
Pieczynski coached Tyler for all four years of her high school career. One of his best memories of Tyler is not one specific moment, but it's who she is on a daily basis.
"I have a nickname for all of my players and my favorite nickname for [Carson] is Cartoon," Pieczynski said. "She's just got a happy-go-lucky smile and face that comes in the gym no matter how hard you work. Win, lose or draw, she walks in with a smile and out with a smile."
In a public recruiting profile, Carson says "Volleyball is just who I am" because of how much time she has dedicated to the sport. Carson's parents Brian and Kelly recognized Carson's spark for volleyball at a very young age. To see her now win the Gatorade Player of the Year award is a full-circle moment for them as they look back at all the time they spent with her in the gym.
"She’s known nothing but volleyball since she was born. She traveled with us with her older sister. Now she’s filling her older sister’s shoes."
'She’s put so much time and energy and effort, sacrifice, into becoming the player she is and the person she is. So it’s nice to see someone has recognized that."
Even more than her athletic accomplishments, the attitude Carson carries and the person she has become is what makes her parents most proud.
"f you had to sit down and write out goals you want for your kids, things you want your kid to be when they grow up, you can’t do it any better than to describe what she has become as a young lady."
Brian and Kelly mentioned the infamous saying of "It takes a village to raise a child", and as a part of that village, they would like to thank Carson's high school Coach Donald Pieczynski and her club volleyball coach, CJ Denk on their continued support for Carson.
For Carson, this award to her is a testament to her dedication. With the legacy she now leaves behind at Saint Mary's, she hopes to continue paving the way for the next generation of volleyball players.
"All the hard work I’ve put in since I was so, so young, it all just pays off in the end. If you’re willing to take part in the process, it’s going to get you to where you want to go," Tyler said. "I just want to be able to inspire young athletes."
Following graduation, Carson will be attending Ball State University in Indiana to continue her academic and athletic career at the Division 1 level.
