Camila Chacon is an ASU Cronkite School of Journalism student assigned to cover Barry Goldwater for AZPreps365.com

PHOENIX – Playing volleyball year-round requires more than spending time on the court. 

For Barry Goldwater senior Kylee Fairbanks, balancing club volleyball, school, work and family means making sacrifices as she works towards her goal of playing at the next level.

Kylee’s volleyball career began in seventh grade at Deer Valley Middle School, but her passion for the sport grew when she stepped onto the court at Barry Goldwater. Since then, she has continued building her skills and taking on new challenges as a leader of the Bulldogs’ program.

“As soon as she started playing it, she fell in love with the sport and it got really big freshman year,” her father, Steven, said. 

After her second year on varsity, Kylee transitioned from a middle blocker to outside hitter for the Bulldogs. Extra work has helped her develop defensively and improve receiving serves. 

“Transitioning from a middle where you're not really playing in the back row, and then getting targeted a lot as an outside hitter has been a big learning curve for her, and she's done really well,” Barry Goldwater head coach Kelley Robb said. 

Along with staying consistent and performing strongly, Kylee has stepped into the role of one of the Bulldogs’ team captains. In this position, she has set a standard for herself to be a positive role model for the girls on and off the court.

“She's just one of those girls that people naturally gravitate towards,” Robb said. “We've been really building on how she can use her personality and skill to influence others and uplift them.”

“I want the younger girls to look up to me in the way I act, not just how I play,” Kylee said. “I want them to be like, ‘Oh, OK , like she is never mean, she never has a bad attitude, but she keeps her grades up, she's on top of everything.’”

Outside of high school volleyball, Kylee has also competed on a club team since her freshman year. This has allowed her to stay consistent with the sport and take on additional opportunities to help her reach the next level.

“Club team is very individually focused, you're playing volleyball basically year-round.” Kylee said. “If you do school, then you go right into club so you don't ever lose touch or lose momentum.”

However, club volleyball also requires financial support and travel for tournaments. Kylee’s  grandparents, especially her grandmother Jeanie Hurley, are among her biggest supporters and have played a major role in helping her pursue a higher level of competition beyond high school.

“When she started playing at Goldwater, I would go watch some games, and I thought, she really likes this,” Hurley said. “We took her to the first club tryout; she made it, and we’re financially able to help, so off she went.”

Since then, the club tournaments have given Kylee a chance to compete in different cities while creating memories with her grandmother along the way. 

“She has one of the best grandmas in the world, and her grandma takes her to every out-of-state tournament; she handles a lot of it all,” Steven said. 

From playing in Tucson, Ariz., Salt Lake City and Atlanta, Kylee Fairbanks has not only strengthened her bond with her grandmother but has also developed as a player.

“She absolutely loves it. And I love it, because I get to drive and travel with her,” Hurley said. “It's been good for me, and it's been really good for her.”

With volleyball taking up most of her time during the week, Kylee also has to manage other responsibilities that come with being a student. While schoolwork remains her top priority, she relies on a structured schedule to stay on top of all her commitments. Planning out study time on a calendar, preparing meals ahead of time and maintaining a positive mindset helps her manage being a student-athlete.

“I do volleyball and school all week, then I have work on weekends, so I don't ever have a lot of outside time,” Kylee said. “If you're not serious about volleyball, it's not something worth sacrificing for because you have to let go of certain people, things outside of school, it's definitely a lot of sacrifice.” 

As Kylee continues working towards her goals, her family remains a key part of her support system. Her grandparents have helped make her passions possible and hope their support will allow her to pursue opportunities of her choice beyond her time at Barry Goldwater. 

“I want the best for her; she's very passionate about volleyball and keeping her grades up, so she can maybe get some kind of scholarship to help her out,” Hurley said. “Then me and her grandpa will help with everything else.”

With graduation approaching next spring, Kylee is beginning to look toward the next chapter of her life. She hopes to find a school where she can keep playing the sport that has shaped her life for as long as possible, while also pursuing an education that will prepare her for a career beyond athletics.

“I definitely hope to accomplish four years for volleyball in college,” Kylee Fairbanks said. “I'm gonna go to school for CSI (crime scene investigation), hoping that's what I do in the future.”