A season ago, the Jefferson Falcons girls volleyball team improved on a 13-13 season by finishing with a record of 18-7 and advanced to the Morris County Tournament quarterfinals. Ultimately their season ended in the NJSIAA North Jersey, Section 1, Group 2 quarterfinals at the hands of Taylor Miller and the Demarest Norsemen.

There are lots of players that showed up in the scorebook for Jefferson, but one player to look out for this coming fall is Peyton Bradley. Her play style is very similar to that of her role model Maggie Gesek. Gesek led the Falcons last season and was the go-to when the team needed a kill and did anything to keep the ball off the floor.

Bradley has played volleyball for just two years, but it seems like she’s been at it for much longer. Both she and her older brother Raymond started playing volleyball together, which means there is no excuse to not practice or pepper at home—which they do.

Peyton Bradley plays for Garden State Elite Volleyball Club. Standing 5’7” with a 24-inch vertical, the versatile outside hitter loves to play defense. Her favorite position to play is libero—simply put, she does whatever her team needs defensively and her team wins because of it. It helps to be coached by some of the best coaches around—Amy Berry and Kelly Hayes. Both Berry and Hayes have a strong focus on defense, and they emphasize how good defense can transition into a strong swing from a hitter.

With regard to next season at Jefferson, it is clear that Peyton will get a lot more playing time, especially being one of the most well-rounded young talents in the area.

“I think we will do well; we will definitely have some challenges with bigger teams,” the sophomore said, “With our returning players I think we will do well and hold our own. I think the key to success will be playing smart, and hitting hard when it is called for.”

Last season Jefferson faced many tough teams, but when Peyton was asked about which player or team was the toughest that she faced a season ago, she said “I think when playing Sparta, we definitely struggled getting around their libero.”

Defense is a huge part of Peyton Bradley’s game and her acknowledgement above is to Sparta great Haley Maher. Maher was the Sparta libero and holds the program record for digs in a career.

Speaking of defense, usually, a player who plays a given sport has a favorite athlete who plays in college or professionally. Bradley’s favorite player to watch play is USA National Team member Zoe Fleck, who is a libero. Both Bradley and Fleck will throw themselves on the floor—they do anything to keep the ball alive. Peyton said, “Zoe Fleck is an insane volleyball player and I try to learn as much as I can from her.”

So why is she a breakout player of the year candidate for New Jersey high school girls volleyball? EASY! She is a highly passionate player with proven success at the club volleyball level. Her skills play so well in the high school scene and Peyton Bradley is without question a player to keep an eye out for.