By: John Fryman
THE VILLAGE REPORTER
john@thevillagereporter.com
SWANTON – It was a night to remember for Swanton senior volleyball standout Alexa Faber, who achieved a special milestone against North Central on Monday, September 22, when she recorded her 1,000th career dig.
“That night was so important for me,” said Faber. “It’s been something that I’ve been looking forward to. And everyone made it such a memorable and fun night for me.”
She also became the third player in school history to reach 1,000 career digs, joining former standouts Sidney Taylor (2017) and Samantha Taylor (2020) in the digs milestone club.
Faber has played an important role for the Lady Bulldogs, where she has been a starter for head coach Kyle Borer since her freshman year.
The 5-8 outside hitter has been a force on the squad, in which she has already achieved Northwest Ohio Athletic League and District 7 Volleyball Coaches Association first team honors as a junior.
Once the four-year volleyball standout had reached the digs milestone, Faber admitted that she was so excited that she ran to her cousin (Kinley) and then jumped up in total excitement after she had achieved it.
She credited her parents, Chad and Carah Faber, and her family for being supportive throughout her career.
“My family has always been my biggest supporters, and they’re the ones who keep me going,” said Faber. “They’re the reason I am who I am today and the reason I get these opportunities. And I’m so grateful for them.”
As a freshman, she had played in the back row but eventually moved into a hitters’ role in her sophomore year.
“She has come a long way from her freshman year after playing in the back row,” said Borer. “Every year she has progressed into a bigger role for the team, all the way until this year and last year. Obviously, her sophomore year, she hasn’t come off the court.”
Borer added, “She’s (Faber) one player that has had a huge role, especially the last three years. And each year she has gotten better and better, where she expanded her game offensively and defensively over those three years.”
Faber credited her head coach for being a huge influence throughout her volleyball career. “He’s (Borer) taught me a lot and always been the one I go to whenever I needed the help,” said Faber. “He always pushed me to do my best.”
The Lady Bulldogs have enjoyed a successful season so far with a 14-4 record heading into the final week of the regular season. This season is going way better than I had expected,” pointed out Faber. “I’m really happy with how it’s going with everyone.”
Borer, who has guided the Lady Bulldogs program for the past 13 seasons, credited the importance of having Faber on the team.
“Her success on the court is very important for our success as a team to accomplish goals that we want to.” he pointed out. “I told her year in and year out, the last few years, that the way she plays, it dictates the way our team goes that night, along with a few others.
“We rely on her heavily with our offense and our defense. Anybody that doesn’t come off the court and plays all the way around has a big role and big responsibilities for their team.”
Faber, along with her fellow senior teammates, Ava Lewis, Ella Saunders, Emma Forrest, Jordyn Ramirez, and Madison Roytek, all had to step up in leadership roles this season following the graduation of seven players from a year ago.
“All of us seniors realized like what we needed to do,” said Faber. “We thought about everything, and we really stepped up all together and brought everyone up.”
Being the lone four-year letterwinner on the team, the veteran coach said her own experience over the last four years has been integral for the rest of the team.
“When you look at her leadership on and off the court, and now she’s a captain this year, trying to get her to expand that role into leading by example, not by word of mouth and stuff like that,” commented Borer.
Faber has also excelled in softball, where she has played shortstop and earned first-team all-NWOAL honors the past two seasons.
Last spring, she batted .469 with 38 hits, 29 runs, 39 runs batted in, and five home runs. “Softball has been important to me since I was little,” said Faber. “Sports have just always been a big part of my life.”
Faber carries a 3.5 grade point average in the classroom. She is a National Honor Society member and participates in the leadership group in addition to being a senior homecoming attendant this fall. She also plans to play basketball this winter.
“I want to be remembered as the one who is uplifting and encouraging for everyone that they enjoy playing with,” Faber said.
She plans to major in medical imaging and attend college, but is keeping her options open to either play volleyball or softball.
It will be a tougher task next fall for Borer, replacing Faber, who has made quite an impact in the Lady Bulldogs program over the last four years.
“I’m going to miss her when she’s done because of all that she’s done for us and this program and the kid and player that she is,” said the Swanton coach. “It’s going to be a sad day when the season is over and she’s not going to be a Swanton Bulldog volleyball player anymore.”
