Volleyball
Favorite athlete: Bergen Reilly
Favorite team: Nebraska Women’s Volleyball
Favorite memory competing in sports: My favorite volleyball memory is my entire senior season- the coaches, my teammates, reaching career milestones, and the incredible effort we have all put in to have such a successful season.
Most embarrassing/funniest thing that has happened while competing in sports: When I went to high five my coach and accidentally slapped him across the face in the middle of a match.
Music on playlist: Country
Future plans: Play collegiate volleyball while studying Secondary Education with a concentration in English.
Words to live by: “Don’t sweat the small stuff.”
One goal before turning 30: To come back and teach at CB South, coach with Kurt Godfrey until he steps away, then continue his legacy and take over the program.
One thing people don’t know about me: I spend my summers in Sea Isle City, New Jersey.
By GORDON GLANTZ
Although Carly Scott was a natural all-around athlete, playing soccer and basketball as a youngster, Central Bucks South volleyball coach Kurt Godfrey always knew that she was born for his sport.
When her older sister, Ashley, played for the Titans as a defensive specialist, a young Carly made an immediate and lasting impression.
“I’ve known Carly since she was about six years old,” said the coach. “Even back then, you could tell that she was a kid who just leaves it all out there.
“I say we had to steal her away from soccer, but I think she was always a volleyball player at heart for her entire life. She would come to Ashley’s matches and ask to take a ball from the ball cart and would go into the hallway and set a ball against the wall for almost the entire match. She is one of those kids who loves the sport. You could tell from back then, from Day 1, how much she loved volleyball.”
Scott concurs, and remembers those formative days well.
“I also played soccer and basketball but, in fifth grade, my older sister who played volleyball just begged me to try out and play CYO, so I did,” she recalled. “That’s when I said, ‘This is the sport for me.’ I never really loved soccer or basketball, but I just loved volleyball. I quit soccer and basketball right away, because all I wanted to do was to play volleyball.”
As for the practicing against the wall the whole time her sister was playing for the Titans, that is anything but a tall tale.
“I have two older sisters and the middle one, Ashley, is 6 ½ years older than me and she played for (Godfrey),” Scott recollected. “I grew up in the gym.
“I never once saw either of my sisters’ games, though. I would just go and get a ball, go outside and just play against the wall.”
Quest for Perfection
Upon reflection, it’s now hard to believe that any other sport was ever remotely under consideration for Scott.
“Volleyball is her life,” said Godfrey. “She’s that kid who, when she leaves practice the night before games, watches film on opponents. If she’s not watching film on opponents, she’s watching Nebraska play Penn State or Nebraska play Pitt. She lives and breathes volleyball. She is just one of those kids. You wish you had 14 of them who care as much as she does and who are as dedicated as she is. She, honestly, is a great kid who I am going to be very sad to be losing.”
Scott confirmed that watching college games – especially her favorite team, Nebraska – has helped her to become the player she is now.
“I’ve always tried to find ways to get better,” she said. “Watching the older girls – watching the setters, watching her tendencies, watching everything. Anything I can do to expand my knowledge of volleyball, I’ll do.”
Meanwhile, Scott has been a starter at setter for four years, going through three straight tough seasons of single-digit wins before enjoying team and individual success as a senior.
“I don’t know if I would have ever imagined her accomplishing what she has accomplished,” said Godfrey. “She has been an absolute rock in our program for the last four years.
“She is probably one of the hardest working kids that I’ve ever coached. I don’t know that I’ve had another player in my 10 years as head coach who has given as much heart and soul to this team. She is an unbelievable kid.”
The End Game
With the arrival of the postseason, there is the sudden realization that it all could end at any time.
On the stat sheet, in more than 80 games played, Scott has put up astounding career numbers: 139 aces, 126 kills, 1,567 assists and 521 digs.
But what she has brought to the program the last four years goes beyond statistics.
Godfrey says he is bracing for the inevitable emotional impact.
“I’ve known Carly and her family a long time,” he said. “We had Senior Night the other night, and I’ll tell you, it was emotional just knowing that our chapter of South volleyball together is coming to an end.
“Hopefully, we make a playoff push and get a few games out of it, or we get off the bus for the last time – or walk out of our gym for the last time, if we get a home game and lose – it’s going to be really sad after having a girl like Carly for four years.”
The Climb
As a two-year captain, as elected by her peers, Scott could not be more proud of the team and what it has achieved this season.
“I feel like we worked so hard to grow this whole culture back of family, and it comes from hard work at every single practice,” she said. “Every one of those girls is so dedicated, and we really haven’t always had that in years past.
“Just ending my South career off with such a strong season, I couldn’t have asked for more. It’s heartbreaking to think that it’s going to be over because I love South volleyball more than anything in the world. It’s been such a unique part of my life. It’s going to be strange for me to not be a part of the program anymore.”
And Scott is hoping it continues a while longer.
The Titans will battle Council Rock North on the road Tuesday in a grudge match, as they will be looking to avenge a regular season setback.
“If we play our best, Tuesday’s match is definitely winnable, but that is as long as we play up to their level,” said Scott. “We lost to them earlier in the season, but I was coming off an injury, and we just didn’t have our best game. It was actually our worst game of the season.
“They are probably thinking that they are going to come in and roll right over us, but we are much different team now than we were then.”
Next Chapter
The next stop for Scott is York College of Pennsylvania (YCP), where she will continue her volleyball career while pursuing a degree in secondary education.
YCP, which plays at the Division III level, also has an excellent academic reputation.
“She is an incredibly strong student,” said Godfrey. “That leads to her being a strong setter. I mean, really, setters are your quarterbacks out there on the court. They really are our leaders, whether they are elected captains or not.
“We look to our setters every play. They touch the ball on every play. Like I said, along with being a court captain and a team captain, she is also our emotional leader.”
For her part, Scott has taken the captaincy role seriously.
“My junior year, it was totally unexpected,” she said. “Normally, a junior is not expected to be the captain. I couldn’t have been more thankful.
“As soon as they told me that I was the captain, I knew I would have to step up. I knew I would have conversations with the team that needed to be had, and I knew I could support my teammates in any way possible. I knew I would be there for (Godfrey) with anything that he needed help with.
“Being a captain, there is so much of it that goes on off the court that people don’t even see, but me and (Godfrey) talk every day about what we can do better and about what we can change.”
Moving On
The final college choice came down to YCP and Kutztown, but Scott just felt like going from being a Titan to a Spartan was the ideal fit.
“I just loved the team vibe at York, and the coach (Dan Mickle) is amazing,” said Scott, who committed to YCP back in March. “I felt at home there, and they have a really great education program. The campus is nice, and it’s the perfect distance from my house. It’s not too far, but just far enough. It was just the perfect fit.”
Scott is not only hoping to be a high school English teacher.
“She wants to be high school teacher, and I’m sure she will find her way into coaching,” said Godfrey. “She has joked about coming back and taking over the program when I finally decide to retire.”
Actually, there is not much humor involved. Scott is determined to come back home to Warrington and take the reins when the time is right.
“I just love my school,” said Scott, who boasts a 3.85 GPA while taking just about every AP English class possible. “I love South. I loved all my teachers. I loved my friends, and I loved South volleyball. It’s just a great culture.
“(Godfrey) told me that he doesn’t want to leave the program to anybody else. I can’t wait to become a coach. I know I will always be involved in volleyball somehow, and I hope that will be in coaching. I would definitely love to continue his legacy.”
Debt of Gratitude
When it comes to extending gratitude, the list begins with the immediate family – parents Deborah and Donald, and sisters (Lindsay, who stuck with soccer and basketball and played soccer at Muhlenberg College, and the aforementioned Ashley, who didn’t play volleyball at West Chester).
She described her mother as the quintessential “team mom,” the one who takes the lead and organizes events, while her father remains a constant behind the scenes and at matches.
“I definitely couldn’t have done any of this without my parents,” said Scott. “The hours they put in, just driving me and buying me new volleyballs and setting up a net in my backyard. They are the best parents. They go beyond anything I could ever expect.
“Obviously, too, my older sisters. They were both really great athletes and were both an inspiration to me growing up. With Ashley, I wanted to be just like her when she played volleyball. If it weren’t for her, I wouldn’t have even gotten into the sport.”
Godfrey is also high on the list of those that Scott wanted to thank for his support and guidance.
“He has been the best coach ever,” she said. “I couldn’t ask for more. I truly owe it all to him. He taught me so much about the sport. He is a truly amazing coach. He puts people before players. I feel like I can come to him with anything, and he will be the first to give advice. He is an all-around great person who is so knowledgeable about volleyball. I was so lucky to have him as a high school volleyball coach.”
Coach in Training
When it comes to preparing to be a coach like Godfrey one day. Scott has had plenty of practice as a leader of young women.
“She was elected a captain by her peers in her junior year, and now again for her senior year,” said Godfrey. “I give a lot of power to our setters. They are our court captains, whether they are freshmen or seniors. They are the ones who are allowed to talk to the referees. Carly has been elected captain by her peers.”
And Godfrey has witnessed how Scott has taken the role and run with it.
“She leads by example,” said Godfrey. “She is the first one to practice every day and she is the last one to leave. She is incredibly loud, and she is encouraging to her teammates. She is just incredibly – incredibly – passionate. She wears her heart on her sleeve. She is just one of those kids who you just wish you could have for more than four years.”
Off the Court
Scott, who also plays club volleyball for VEVA (Vanguard Elite Volleyball Academy), still makes the time to get involved in several extracurricular activities.
While she relishes chilling in the summertime in Sea Isle City at the Jersey Shore, she books herself solid during the school year with the likes of Athletes Helping Athletes and Spanish Honor Society and Operation Eternal Gratitude.
“I try to be as involved as I can,” said Scott, adding that her favorite activity is Titan Connect, which involves spending time with special needs peers. “School always comes first, even ahead of volleyball. I always just made that my first priority.
“If everything else is out of your mind, it means you can completely focus in on practice. (Godfrey) always says to be aware of where you are.
“That has always stuck with me. That means that if you are at school, focus on school. If you’re at practice, focus on practice. If you’re with your friends, then go and be with your friends. That is something that has always stuck with me, so I just try and focus on doing that.”
