MUSKEGON TOWNSHIP – A lot of athletes who reach impressive milestone numbers claim they weren’t keeping track, and had no idea they were even getting close.

Reeths-Puffer volleyball standout Brianna Stawski isn’t one of them.

When she was a freshman playing varsity, she decided she wanted to reach 1,000 kills in her career. That of course averages out to 250 kills per season, which is a pretty tall challenge.

But Stawski never forget her goal, and kept working and improving until she became one of the most powerful hitters in the area, earning the nickname “The Beast.”

She was finally within range of the magic number on Oct. 7, when Reeths-Puffer hosted a quad match against Wyoming, Kenowa Hills and Hudsonville Unity Christian.

Stawski kept track of her kills in her head that day, knowing all of her hard work was about to pay off.

“I was counting my kills,’ said Stawski, who is committed to play volleyball at Grand Valley State University. “I knew I had 13 left going into that night. That was one of my biggest goals that I set as a freshman. I had some challenges, especially last year with the shortened schedule. This year I’ve been working really hard with my team and pushing for it to happen. Finally making it happen feels truly amazing.”

Stawski earned the right to enjoy the moment when she reached her goal, according to Reeths-Puffer volleyball coach Justin Birr. That’s because she’s one of those rare athletes who can set a long-term goal and remain focused until she reaches it, he said.

“She’s top notch,” said Birr, who’s led his team to a 20-16 record this season. “She’s put in more hours in the gym than any athlete I know. You can see her athleticism, but it’s not just that she’s a gifted athlete. She’s put in thousands of hours in the gym and that’s why she’s a six-position player for us. She brings a lot to each row.

“She’s reached a lot of her personal goals. She’s trending in the right direction of reaching her All-State goal this year. She doesn’t just expect things to happen – when she sets her mind on something she gets there. It kind of sets her apart.”

Stawski knows all of that hard work may never have paid off without skilled teammates around her, particularly girls like Allison McManus, who’s totaled over 326 assists this season, and Leah Ellis, who’s totaled more than 113.

Without quality setters like those two, kills just don’t happen.

“This isn’t just my 1,000 kills,” she said. “It’s my team’s. Without them, I couldn’t get there.”

Stawski has been playing volleyball since sixth grade, and said she became hooked on the sport when she realized how good she could be.

“I loved learning new things,” said the senior, who’s totaled more than 250 kills this year. “Learning all the new things really helped me get better and better. It’s always amazing learning and trying new things. It really made me fall in love with the sport. I realized I had a lot of potential and fell in love very quickly.”

While it’s easy to get distracted by individual goals, Stawski is hopeful that her team can win an O-K Green conference tournament championship this week, after advancing to the semifinals in the city tournament on Saturday.

“That would be pretty amazing,” said Stawski who will lead her team in the conference tournament semifinals on Tuesday. “We haven’t won a conference title in a long time. I feel like this year with this team, we have a good chance. Any title, whether its conference or districts, would be really big for the program.”