Copperas Cove volleyball standout Kyra Gaston earns national record book spot

The National Federation of State High School Associations has added Copperas Cove graduate Kyra Gaston to its volleyball record book, listing her with 553 career blocks and placing her among the nation’s all-time leaders. For a Copperas Cove athlete, that kind of statewide and national placement is rare, and Gaston’s numbers show exactly why.

Gaston’s biggest single-season mark came in her senior year in 2021, when she finished with 277 blocks. That total ranked first in Texas and 11th nationally for one season, turning a strong local season into a record-book performance. Over her varsity career, which began in her sophomore year, she piled up 553 blocks, a total that ranked second in Texas and 20th nationally. The NFHS career list puts her behind Nicole Fleitman of Lindsay, Texas, who is listed with 585 career blocks, giving Copperas Cove a clear benchmark for how close Gaston came to the Texas career lead.

Her production was not limited to the net. Copperas Cove Leader-Press coverage from the 2021 season described Gaston as a frequent contributor in kills, aces and blocks for the Lady Dawgs, with her play helping drive the team through late-game stretches and postseason pressure. The district said she helped lead Copperas Cove back to the playoffs, and that impact made her a familiar name long before the national record book caught up.

Gaston also earned all-state recognition from the Texas Sportswriters Association as a senior. The organization’s 2021 all-state volleyball teams were selected by its members from coach and media nominations across Texas, which put Gaston among the players recognized statewide for elite play.

Copperas Cove Independent School District Superintendent Dr. Brent Hawkins said he was excited that Gaston finally received the recognition she earned and that her legacy can serve as a target for younger student-athletes who want to match her standard. That message lands in a community where record-setting numbers are still uncommon and where one player’s production can become a blueprint for the next generation of Bulldawgs.

Gaston continued her career at Lane College in Jackson, Tennessee, where Lane’s volleyball roster lists her as a 6-foot senior middle blocker and right side. In September 2023, the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference named her its Volleyball Offensive Player of the Week, a sign that the blocking-driven profile she built in Copperas Cove translated to the college level as well.