How do you spend your Wednesday mornings?  Alyssa Guyon, a junior here at LHS, wakes up at 5 a.m. to head to the gym before school to lift weights and workout.  The payoff for dedication like this: her name on the Super 7  list for volleyball this season.

 “It’s kind of unreal,” says Guyon.  “I never thought it would happen.”

Being named one of the Super 7 means that she is one of the top volleyball players in Western Massachusetts.  Until a few years ago, Guyon hadn’t had much experience with volleyball.  Following the encouragement of a few friends, she decided to give the sport a try her first year of high school.

“Freshman year I came in and I didn’t really know what I was doing,” she admits.  “I was tall and I could jump so I decided to try out.  I ended up making varsity my first year and I fell in love with it.”

Her passion, paired with natural talent and a strong work ethic, has clearly taken her far.  One of her biggest inspirations is Shannon Robitaille, a former player and volleyball legend at LHS.

“Shannon, probably the best volleyball player to ever come through here, was a Super 7 her senior year. My freshmen year she helped me so much.  She was an unbelievable athlete and coach. Even being compared to her is insane to me, but it feels awesome.”

Earning this honor came with much hard work.

“Over the summer I started lifting and working out.  It really helped the strength in my arms  and legs.  My vertical jump got so much higher and my strength for hits got so much better too.”

This intense training hasn’t stopped under the burden of early school mornings and loads of homework.  Once a week she meets with a few other athletes at LHS to workout before most students have even woken up.

As one of the team captains, this Super 7 is hoping for a great fall season.

“I’m looking forward to improving,” says Guyon. “I want to see how much we can accomplish.”