Comparison is the thief of joy, and it always will be.
Going into the 2024-25 school year, Amelia Guinn had her doubts. The soon-to-be freshman attended Solon volleyball open gyms in the summer, questioning whether she can play at the varsity level. She believed she didn’t have enough experience like the other girls did.
Little did she know the impression she made at those open gyms. She was given a position on varsity, and now, the 6-foot-1 outside hitter developed into a key player on a Solon team with state championship aspirations.
“It’s just the way she hits and how powerful she is, while also being consistent. She’s a very consistent hitter for being such a young outside,” said senior and Solon teammate Kiley Devery. “And even when she makes mistakes, [she was] still being aggressive. She never let herself get down. Instead, she was always swinging and always going her full hardest and trying her best, and it worked.”
Guinn is a multi-faceted athlete. Alongside volleyball, she plays travel basketball for 212
Degrees Sports Academy and does shot put and discus in track and field. But there’s no question which sport sits on top.
She began playing travel volleyball with Iowa United at 12 years old. Seeing her peers getting noticed by colleges, along with her watching Nebraska volleyball, birthed a vision for a college volleyball career. She’s already been on unofficial visits to Iowa State, Kansas State, and Baylor.
And while Guinn has improved playing with the club team, varsity high school volleyball has been a different experience.
“For club, you play with girls your own age. So for high school, there’s girls who are taller and stronger and more experienced than you are,” Guinn said. “You just learn things that you wouldn’t have learned during club.”
Struggles are a part of the learning process, of course, but she’s been productive. As of Oct. 9, she trails Devery for most kills on the team with 170, proving that she’s a focal point to this team’s success.
“I think a lot of encouragement, a lot of support from her teammates to overcome the adversity that she’s facing,” said Solon head coach Ruben Galvan. “She’s facing some really good players on the other side of the net, and she’s learning to play against those tough players. So I think she’s growing as a competitor.”
As postseason play looms closer, Guinn continues to build her confidence. Her self-expectations make it hard for her to accept mistakes, but she’s aware that mistakes are inevitable. She claims her individual play this season to be a success, and the potential is sky high once her confidence peaks.
A WaMaC tournament win and state championship would give it a boost like none other.
“We have the players and the coaches to do that,” she said. “We just need to find confidence and find some motivation to keep playing.”