All-Around Athlete
Grace Walker, a senior at Muncie Central High School, is May’s Student Athlete of the Month, sponsored by IU Health. A versatile athlete, she has enjoyed participating in volleyball, cheerleading and tennis during her last year as a high school student. She is grateful not to be limited to one sport and manages to balance them all, even when they overlap.
Walker played varsity volleyball for all four of her years at Muncie Central. As a setter, she was in an offensive position. Her role was to get the ball to the player who would hit it over the net. She had to be in sync with other team members and make quick decisions.
“I love volleyball for the people. It was a fun team. It’s a fast-paced sport and skill-based, but very easy to grasp. This year we won our conference for the first time since 2016,” Walker says.
This October, Muncie Central’s girls volleyball team won the North Central Conference. The Indiana High School Athletic Tournament was held at Jefferson High School in Lafayette. They were undefeated after playing four matches. Walker’s attack attempts no doubt contributed to the team’s efforts. Attack attempts are when a ball is spiked, set, tipped or hit. In all, Walker was recorded to have 385 attack events during the 2025-26 season.
Walker achieved other milestones in her senior season. She reached her goal of 1,000 assists; she passed or set a ball up to a teammate who was credited with a kill. In addition, Walker had 118 kills of her own. A kill is when a ball is unreturnable by the opposing team. Since it is unable to be hit back across the net, the team that delivered the ball receives a point. For Walker’s achievements on the court, she was named a finalist for the 2026 Delaware County High School Athletic Awards. Walker also received this honor in 2025.
Cheerleading in the fall for football and later in the school year for both boys and girls basketball is an activity Walker is part of. Some of her volleyball teammates are on the squad as well. She manages to accommodate both sports.
“Both my volleyball coach and cheer coach are flexible. There is not a competitive cheer team so there isn’t a lot of pressure behind it. It’s a nice way to have school spirit,” Walker says.
“I’ve been on the tennis team since my sophomore year. It’s less serious and a breath of fresh air. Although it’s a team sport, if I mess up, it’s on me. Since it’s outside, it’s a little harder in the early spring; it takes a while to warm up. I play with my best friends, and we just go out and have fun,” Walker says.
When Walker isn’t competing or cheering, she devotes time to her studies and works. Walker puts in 20 hours a week at the YMCA. She shares that she loves her job because it allows her to work around her sports schedule. Her academic success is evident; she is a member of the National Honor Society.
Walker plans to attend Ball State University and pursue a career in education. Her third-grade teacher made a positive impact on her when she moved from Fishers to Muncie. While participating in the educational career pathway, she has gained needed experience through Principles of Teaching classes, especially those that include classroom observations.
“My parents have been great mentors. My dad is the principal of Muncie Central and my hero. He leads people every day and the ways he steps up inspire me. Another mentor is my volleyball coach, Katherine Hughes. She became coach after my junior year coach had to leave in the middle of the season. She is serious but allowed us to have fun. She joined in on the fun too and you don’t see a lot of coaches doing that. It was a nice balance and winning the conference was a great moment,” Walker says.
“My advice to someone wanting to play sports in high school is to go all in. Each experience will build relationships. It’s all worth it,” Walker says.
