Buford Volleyball Player Mikayla Hayden Voted ITG Next Georgia December Athlete of the Month
Buford senior volleyball player Mikayla Hayden was recently voted the ITG Next Georgia Female Athlete of the Month for December.
She was nominated for the award along with three other student-athletes from around the state: Houston County freshman Ansley Darby, a standout receiver on the Lady Bears flag football team; Hayden Aliotta, the QB of her flag football team at St. Vincent Academy in Savannah; and Shakiria Chaney, a guard/forward on the Tift County Lady Blue Devils basketball team. While all of our nominees were deserving of the Athlete of the Month, Hayden won the award by a close margin, receiving 36.92 % of the overall vote.
Hayden led her Buford volleyball team to the Region 8-6A championship, an overall record of 37-4, and a second straight state championship this season. She ended the season with 312 kills, 78 total blocks, and 79 aces. Her hitting percentage was .420.
Region 8 6A STATE CHAMPS! #StayHungryStayHumble pic.twitter.com/M74Q4DuaIK
— Buford Lady Wolves Volleyball (@LadyWolves_VB) November 7, 2021
Hayden has been a big part of the Lady Wolves’ success since her freshman season, when she became one of the team’s leaders as only a ninth-grader. She led them to the semifinals that year, in 2018, and was selected to the All-County and All-Region teams.
In 2019, Hayden once again played a huge part in Buford reaching the Class 6A semifinals for a second straight season. She was once again selected as All-County and All-Region, but added an All-State Honorable Mention for her sophomore season to her growing list of personal accomplishments.
Speaking of personal accomplishments, with her 6-foot tall frame dominating at the net, Hayden reached a milestone with 1,000 kills for her high school career.
Hayden was chosen as the Region 8-6A Player of the Year in 2020.
In addition to starring for Buford’s volleyball team, she also plays club volleyball with A5 out of Atlanta.
After receiving numerous offers from colleges around the country to continue her volleyball career following graduation from Buford, Hayden accepted an offer to play at The University of California-Berkley, where she plans to major in molecular biology. Hayden’s mother, Corin Hayden, also played volleyball collegiately at Missouri Western.
Buford volleyball coach Hadli Daniels praised Hayden for not only her value to the team on the court, but also what she has meant to the team outside the lines.
“Mikayla leaves Buford as the most decorated middle hitter we have ever had,” Daniels said. “Her 264 total career blocks smashes our previous record, but she has accomplished all of this while being one of the most humble players I have ever coached.”
Congratulations to Mikayla Hayden, our ITG Next Georgia December Female Athlete of the Month.
Written by: Phil Jones
