Serving up records: How Erika Magin became Keiser鈥檚 queen of aces
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — In volleyball, a service ace is awarded to a player when a serve directly results in a point for the serving team. Not that you’d need to tell that to senior libero Erika Magin. She already knows, and she’s somewhat of an expert. In her time in West Palm Beach, she has tossed 164 aces, a mark that became the new Keiser program record on Saturday, August 26. Magin already held the single-season aces record, when she delivered a whopping 81 last fall. Obviously, Magin’s service ace success didn’t happen overnight. She tallied 29 service aces her freshman year, and 28 the following season, to go along with her record-setting junior year. This year, she has 26 over 13 games played, good for two per match (as of August 31).
“It feels very rewarding,” said Magin of her latest record. “It’s nice to see the hard work paying off.” The hard work has paid off indeed for the Palm Bay native, who has been with the program since the fall of 2020. Flash forward four seasons, and Magin is now a senior leader on this year’s squad. “It really has come full circle for me,” said Magin. “When I got here, I would look up to the seniors and follow their lead, and now Hannah (Heide) and I are in that same role.”
Outside of service aces, Magin has logged four solid years of defensive production in James Rogers’ system, totaling 1723 digs (as of August 31), which is also a Keiser record. As a leader, she has identified energy and morale as the biggest factors for this year’s team.
“Confidence is key, we have to be confident in each other,” Magin explained. “A positive attitude on the court is huge for this year’s team. Whether we are up or down, positive reinforcement is huge for us. We know that we are talented, and we know we are in shape, we just have to believe in ourselves and each other. We came up just short of the conference championship last year, and we can win it this year if we keep our collective confidence high.”
Confidence is something that is clearly present in Magin, who has several contributors to her success.
“My technique is important, and so is coaching. My parents are super supportive of me and are at most of the games cheering, and I really appreciate them.”
In case you were wondering if there is a secret to serving up aces like Erika, there isn’t. But she’ll tell you a simple trick she has perfected over her Seahawk career.
“When I get to the service line, I find someone that looks scared, and I serve it to them.”
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