Caleb Barry stands in front of the net, looking to make the next play. But the Lockport senior is already calculating where he wants to place the ball on his next big swing.
Barry has 195 kills, 96 digs, 49 aces and 22 blocks this season for Lockport, which is aiming for back-to-back Niagara Frontier League championships. But this season is nothing new for Barry, who is in his fifth varsity season for the Lions.
The 6-foot-5 Barry needed some time to adjust to varsity, but leaned on his older teammates and absorbed their advice. But now, when Barry steps on the court, he relies on his instincts to make the next play when the ball goes live.
“I try to either make a good pass or put the ball down when it comes to me,” Barry said. “Because, no matter how many chances I get, I want to make sure that we get a point out of it, no matter which way it comes.”
Making the most of his chances when his number is called has led to staggering numbers for Barry. Last season, on his way to receiving first-team all-NFL honors, Barry finished with double-digit kills in 15 matches, finishing with 206 for the season.
And this year, Barry has continued to deliver in big games for the Lions, including a career-high 21 kills in a five-set home win against Grand Island on Oct. 17. But long before he broke out for volleyball, which became his main sport two years ago, Barry dealt with a setback.
In a junior varsity game for Lockport against Kenmore West in December 2022, Barry broke his ankle, causing months of physical therapy to now wearing an ankle brace for nearly every sporting event. Barry’s ankle healed by the time he returned for his junior year of varsity volleyball, crediting an offseason of basketball, baseball and a week-long volleyball camp held at Lockport in August for getting over the mental hurdles.
When Barry first returned to volleyball last season, he would be sore from playing, as his body needed to readjust how to play the sport again. But in the nearly two years since his injury, Barry feels better, overall.
“It was a long journey back, but I think it made me a stronger person, not just physically, but mentally,” Barry said. “Because it made me cherish more things and not take everything for granted and realize I’m going to give it my all (to) everything.”
With Barry in the lineup, Lockport has won 27 three-set sweeps in 36 matches the last two seasons. And, since she began coaching him over five years ago, Lockport head coach Liz Smorol has inserted Barry as one of her consistent players in the middle.
Oftentimes, players trying to return from an injury come back playing with hesitancy. But, that wasn’t the case for Barry, who returned playing with a hunger for the ball and no hesitation.
“He has all the skill sets,” Smorol said. “And for someone that’s 6-5 and they can pass and play defense, you just don’t see that. Other teams pull their middles out of the back row and they hide him in the corner, but Caleb’s right in the mix and he always has been.”