Johnson's 2000+ assists is all about the communication

ASHEBORO — Of all the skill sets Uwharrie Charter Academy all-around athlete Emory Johnson possesses, and there are plenty the three-sport star utilizes throughout the sports year, it is her communication skills which may stand out above all others. And she realized that at an early age.

“I always played a lot of sports,” she said of growing up. “I tried swimming, but realized you can’t really talk when you’re underwater the whole time so I decided to give volleyball a try.”

She’s thankful she did. Johnson, who also plays basketball and softball for the Eagles, was honored recently on the volleyball court after registering her 2,000th assist. It came in a match on Sept. 18 against Jordan-Matthews and it’s a number very few can match. While girls are celebrated for reaching their 1,000th kill, 1,000th dig or 1,000th assist, Johnson obliterated that mark and now stands among the very elite in Randolph County high school volleyball history.

“I can’t get 2,000 assists without 2,000 kills and 2,000 digs from my passers,” she said last week. “It’s a team accomplishment. I can’t pass, set and hit all by myself. I can’t go out and earn points, but I have teammates who can.

“I cannot believe this happened,” she said. “It’s something as a freshman, I set a lot of goals for myself. One of the goals I set was to break the record and hold the school record for assists. It was surreal.”

Johnson, who started playing volleyball in fifth grade, praised all her offensive hitters, including this year’s group, which includes Caroline Way, Carly Rush, Nyasia Wharton, Sydney Hayes and Alyvia Spinks among others.

“Setting is super easy when you have guys like Caroline and Carlie and Nyashia and Olivia and Sydney,” Johnson said. “Any ball you set, they can put it down. When you play with good peo-ple, it makes you a better person and a better player and I’m just super thankful for all my teammates.”

Johnson remembers stepping on the court as a freshman.

“It was intimidating,” she said. “They were just coming off their best season in school history. They had lost a lot in the senior class that year. They had gone to the fourth round of the playoffs. We had a successful eighth grade year, but middle school volleyball and varsity volleyball are two whole different things. It took a while to settle in and get adjusted. But to be able to play that role to the best of my abilities.”

UCA volleyball coach Lee Kennell remembers that time as well.

“It was more of the intangibles for her,” Kennell said of what he saw in Johnson at a young age. 

“Obviously, the skill was there, but the intangibles she brings. The leadership, how she could run a court, how she could run an offense. We do a lot of offseason stuff so I saw her in different roles.

“We were confident Emory could handle it.” And Johnson’s ability to communicate was key.

“If we have to ask you to lead, you’re not really a leader,” Kennell said. “Good leaders just kinda lead. That’s what she did from the get-go. She just has that personality. She’s outgoing. She loves talking. The big thing we focus on is communication. We talk about over communicating. You have to have that relationship with your hitters as well. And with your teammates and coaches. I know what she’s thinking and she knows what I’m thinking.”

There certainly has been plenty of success on the volleyball court in the past four years. UCA is 81-22 in Johnson’s four years, including a 258-78 advantage in sets won.

UCA entered action this week at 17-3 with a firm grasp of first place in the Four Rivers Conference. A sweep of Southwestern Randolph last Thursday pushed the Eagles’ winning streak to 13 straight, all straight-set wins. That’s 39 consecutive sets UCA has won.

“I had a talk with some of the seniors and said how we need to go out with a bang,” Johnson said. “This is our last year and we can’t be distracted by the little things off the court. We have to be focused because we have the ability to reach all our goals in the regular season, conference tournament and ultimately a state championship.”

Johnson and the Eagles are well on their way.