Junior setter Breanna Hard maps out mathematical possibilities in her head for Aurora Christian.
It all has to add up in the end, but she’s the selfless orchestrator for the Eagles — always trying to optimize the best option among her teammates when it comes to which hitter to call upon.
“It’s all about the mindset, and if you don’t have the right attitude, you’re not going to play well,” Hard said, counting the ways to success. “It’s not about me. It’s about my passes and my hitters.
“And the most rewarding part is when they get the kill.”
That continued Monday night as Hard expanded her program record with 20 assists for Aurora Christian in a 23-25, 25-8, 25-17 Chicagoland Christian Conference loss to Wheaton Academy.
Junior outside hitter Hope Wagner was the primary beneficiary of Hard’s elite distribution with 11 kills for the Eagles (14-6, 2-2). Senior outside hitter Maddie Johnson added four kills, while junior right-side hitter Tessa Sepulveda had two blocks.
Hard set a new program record with her 1,000 career assist last Wednesday in a 15-25, 25-18, 25-23 loss against Marian Central. She already has 387 assists this season.
“I think she has really good decision-making,” Wagner said. “She knows who to set at the right time. She spreads the ball out a lot and she knows who to go to at the right moments.
“We’ve been playing together for three years now, and we definitely have a good connection.”
A North Aurora native, Hard is an avid reader of fiction. She loves action and adventure stories.
Now, she’s the author of her own story on the court.
“I like to take direction,” she said. “And I feel like I’m a very hard worker.”
Aurora Christian coach Mayra Johnson runs a 5-1, with five hitters and one setter. During Hard’s first two years in the program, the Eagles ran a 6-2 that relies on two setters and six hitters.
“Bre has a great work ethic,” Johnson said. “She’s a hard worker and she wants that position.
“We saw that last year. We played a 6-2, and our lead setter had a concussion during our first tournament. That opened the door for her, and she took that on as a challenge.”
Playing in the 6-2 during her first two years allowed Hard to develop other aspects of her game.
The self-described timid freshman came of age.
“I was not the best hitter, and I think putting in the time as a setter has been better for me,” Hard said. “It has made me more confident.”
With that confidence has come an ability to inspire and get the best out of everybody around her.
“If I’m playing with really talented girls around me, that really motivates me,” she said. “You can’t be critical out there. You can think about another player, they should have gotten that ball.
“As the setter, my focus is on my teammates and the team.”
She began playing the sport at age 11 and never looked back.
“The game means so much, and it’s about who you’re surrounded by,” Hard said. “You fall in love with the game. When that happened, I just wanted to keep going to the gym.”
Her coach sees a self-motivated player with a deep desire to always improve and get better.
“I tell everybody in our program, it’s not about your age or how you’ve been here that determines your role and playing time,” Johnson said. “It’s about where your heart is on the court and how hard you’re going to work and perfect that skill.
“Bre has done that.”
With 1,000 assists already, Hard sees the immediate impact of her work.
“My greatest thrill is when the pass is perfect and the hitter slams it,” she said. “That feels good.”
Patrick Z. McGavin is a freelance reporter for The Beacon-News.
