Records are set to be broken. And that is the case out in Osceola County as one local athlete set a new record just three matches into the school year. Our Despina Barton introduces us to Osceola High School volleyball player, Allison Palmi, and what she is doing to stay at the top of her game… in today’s Athlete of the Week:

Allison Palmi has been playing volleyball since she was 7-years old.

“I got into it because my mom played collegiate volleyball and I had a couple of aunts played the sport so when my mom took the job here at Osceola I kind of grew up in the gym, I was a little gym rat,” Palmi said of her exposure to the sport.

Flash forward 10 years and she is a senior at Osceola High School and shattering a county record.

“It’s just so fun, the energy from the girls give me and going up there and scoring points for your team, it’s an adrenaline rush the best part of it,” Palmi added.

With 19 kills against Harmony last week, the four-year varsity letterman passed Aspen Dangren for career kills in Osceola County.

“I wasn’t focused on it at all I kind of just went out and played and they told me at the end of the game—and it was really exciting,” Palmi said of breaking the record.

Palmi now tops the list with 1,189 kills and that number will keep growing as we are so early into the season.

 “I think she actually broke it in the first set, she had 9 kills that first set,” Osceola Head Coach and Alli’s mom, Carrie Palmi explained.

“So that was really kind of crazy but it was awesome and I am proud of her. Just to accomplish it when there has been so many strong players that have come through our program that’s really big.”

Palmi is undersized for an outside hitter, so she took the necessary steps away from the volleyball court to beef up her vertical this off-season and it’s already paying out as she embraces that underdog role.

“I think I was touching about 9’4 and just recently I’m just under 10 foot so it’s a big goal of mine to get there by the end of the year,” Palmi added.

Another goal, work in different attack shots and help guide this Kowboys team to a deep playoff run. Something her mom thinks could be a reality.

“This is one of the best teams that Osceola has had in probably the last decade,” Coach Palmi said. “So I want to go far and I feel like with Ally’s volleyball IQ is really high. On the court I feel like we have almost an assistant coach on the court.”

Which can be the X-factor this season. But right now, for Alli, it’s all starting to soak in, how big of a deal setting this record is.

“I made a lot of friends throughout the program so knowing I get to leave a bit of an imprint here is a really great feeling.”

Alli Palmi is committed to play volleyball at the University of Incarnate Word in San Antonio, Texas next year.