Sam Lakamp will be recognized during the Ironmen volleyball team’s home match Oct. 16 against Urbana for surpassing 1,000 career assists, a milestone she reached Oct. 4 in a 2-0 win over Quincy.

Head coach Mrs. Christine Konopasek said the achievement places Lakamp among an elite group of setters in program history.

“It’s maybe one kid every three or four years at best,” Konopasek said. “That depends on what offense we’re running, how much they’re playing and how efficient our hitters are.”

The last Ironmen to record 1,000 assists was Sophia Feeney, a 2023 graduate who now plays for Illinois Wesleyan University. Feeney reached her 1,000th career college assist earlier this season, on Sept. 6 against Puget Sound.

At 5-foot-9, Lakamp’s combination of setting precision and offensive versatility has made her one of Community’s most consistent contributors, Konopasek said.

She currently leads the team with a 17.7 assists-per-match average rate, along with averaging 1.3 aces, good for a team-second. 

Konopasek said Lakamp’s milestone is even more impressive given her role’s demands and the limited offensive opportunities that come with running a mixed system between a 5-1 and 6-2 offense.

“Sam’s steady,” Konopasek said. “Even when we’re not passing well, she’s consistently working to put up a good second contact so our hitters can do something with it. You never see her falter—she’s calm, even-keel and the kind of player others rely on when things get chaotic.”

Lakamp, who joined the program as a sophomore practicing with varsity before being pulled up to fill in for injured setter Olivia Price in 2023, now sits among the program’s most productive players.

With 135 assists in 2023, 523 in 2024, and 321 this season, Lakamp entered October just 21 assists shy of the 1,000 mark—a threshold she crossed in the Ironmen’s first set against Quincy. 

Konopasek said the milestone reflects both Lakamp’s skill and persistence.

“If we had relied on her for setting only, that number would’ve been higher,” Konopasek said. “But that’s what makes her so valuable—she’s selfless and steady, the type of player who makes everyone else’s job easier.”

Additional reporting by Coelton Harris and Santiago Ramirez Martinez.