Mount Airy's Jamari Mason records 1000th career dig

Mount Airy junior Jamari Mason recorded her 1,000th career dig during a Sept. 17 match against Alleghany.

“I’m very proud of this accomplishment and am looking forward to seeing her push that 1000 dig number to greater heights,” said Mount Airy coach Chuck Morris. “Jamari has great eyes and she sees the plays develop, which in turn allows her to get to the dig faster.”

Mason began her high school career with 151 digs as a freshman. That 2022 team’s starting libero was Morgan Mayfield — the two-time Northwest 1A Conference Defensive Player of the Year that led the state in digs.

Mayfield passed the torch to Mason in 2023, and Mason didn’t disappoint. Jamari went on to finish second in the state among all classifications with 605 kills while averaging more than 20 digs per match. The 2023 Granite Bears won the NW1A Conference Title for a second-consecutive season.

Mason’s role changed in 2024 as she moved away from libero. Despite the position change, Mason is still one of the state’s leaders in digs, ranking No. 1 in 1A and No. 4 among all classifications with 335 digs at the time of publication.

“Jamari set this goal when she looked like she would play libero throughout her career,” Morris said. “She played behind a really good libero her freshman year and started at libero her sophomore year, but with this year’s team we needed her front row attacking abilities. That move kept her from playing in the back row for all rotations. Even with those restrictions, with at least seven more matches left she will get close to her sophomore year numbers for total digs and digs per set.”

In addition to Mason’s team-high 335 digs she also leads the Bears in kills with 151 and aces with 31.

Mount Airy is currently 4-11 overall and sits at third in the NW1A Conference standings with a 4-3 league record.