Lakeland rising senior Kelly Mallon still has one more season of volleyball to play for the Hornets, but she has already established herself as one of the greatest players in Section 1 history, amassing 1,100 digs, the first Lakeland player ever to reach 1,000 digs, and 1,050 kills for her varsity career, that began in seventh grade.
She was named All-American while playing AAU for Downstate 17 Black, which finished fifth at the AAU Nationals in the Aspire Division this spring.
Mallon played for a Lakeland squad that won the Section 1 Class A title, its first sectional crown in school history, in 2022. As just an eighth grader, Mallon recorded 11 kills and 10 digs for the top-seeded Hornets in a 3-1 (19-25, 25-17, 25-16, 25-18) win against No. 3 Horace Greeley at Mahopac in the Class A championship match.
Two years later, Lakeland made it to the Section 1 Class A finals. There as the No. 6 seed it lost to top seed John Jay-Cross River 3-0 (21-25, 26-28, 17-25), where Mallon recorded team highs in both kills (13) and digs (24) at the Westchester County Center, the first time that the historic building in White Plains hosted the sectional finals in volleyball.
Mallon, who plays outside hitter and was a captain on last year’s Lakeland squad that finished 19-2 and as co-league champions, has been named All-State three times and All-Section as well as All-League for four consecutive seasons.
In addition to volleyball, Mallon has run track and field and played flag football and golf, amassing 15 varsity letters and plans to play three sports again this school year, bringing that total up to 18 when she graduates.
What did it mean to be named All-American while playing AAU volleyball? It meant the world to me, especially being able to accomplish that with all of my best friends. It really showed me that all of my hard work over the years has paid off.
How are you able to play sports at Lakeland throughout the school year and make time for everything else? Sometimes it can be difficult to manage sports, academics and social life, but I found that always staying on top of my schoolwork and not getting behind helps a lot.
How old were you when you started playing volleyball and what got you started? I was 4 years old when I started playing volleyball at Downstate. Both my parents played sports in college, and my older sister played volleyball and I wanted to be like her—I started playing because of my sister Cathleen.
What is your favorite part of being on the Lakeland girls volleyball team? Definitely the girls. We are all super close and we do everything together.
What is your favorite team activity or pre- or post-match ritual? Before every game, we get food from the pizzeria across the street from Lakeland and eat together while we get ready.
Who are your biggest role models? My parents. They have always taught me to be hardworking and to stay humble. I wouldn’t be where I am today without my parents.
What’s one thing about yourself that most people don’t know? I know a little bit of sign language.
What do you plan to do after high school? I’m hoping to continue to play volleyball in college and to become a special education teacher.
Who's your favorite professional athlete and pro sports team?
CeeDee Lamb and the Dallas Cowboys.
What’s your go-to warm-up music? A little bit of everything.
What is the go-to app on your phone? Instagram.
What’s one place you’ve never been but would love to visit? Poland.
Best place to eat in Yorktown and why? Bobo’s because the food’s great and the atmosphere’s fun.
What would you say to a young athlete thinking about trying out for the Lakeland girls volleyball team? Just go for it and don’t be scared. I remember being super scared my first tryout in seventh grade, but as soon as I got there, I made new friends and had a lot of fun.
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