Athlete of the Month is a series where MyRye.com profiles the best athletes of each month throughout the academic year, as selected by Rye Athletics. Today, we look at senior Amelie Modesto of the Rye Volleyball team, who earned Rye High School’s Athlete of the Month honors for October 2026.
“It is hard to discuss the success we have had as a program over the past two years without acknowledging Amelie Modesto,” Garnets head coach Geri Jones told MyRye.com. “Her play often defies physics and logic.”
Modesto quickly ascended to become a key starter for Jones last season, when she helped the Garnets to their first ever sectional championship in program history. She has elevated her game to another level as a senior. The star setter has led Rye in assists in every one of their 17 regular season games, a year in which she has totalled 549 assists, best in the section. For her career, Modesto has 1,276 assists in less than two full seasons as a starter.
265 of those assists came in October 2026 alone, a month in which Rye won all eight matches admist their 13-game winning streak dating back to September 15. During that stretch, she has averaged a strong 9.46 assists per set. She helped the Garnets win 24 of 28 sets with her elite playmaking ability.
“[Modesto] describes her role as helping the people around her succeed, saying that her job is to ‘make them shiny’,” Jones said. “That phrase captures Amelie’s leadership philosophy beautifully. She understands that true leadership is not about being the person in the spotlight; it is about making the people around you better and giving them the confidence to shine themselves.”
Modesto is one of three captains for the Garnets in 2026, and her leadership has been instrumental in the overall team’s success. The soon-to-be three-year letterwinner in volleyball is well-known amongst her peers and coaches for being a leader by example, both in matches and in practice.
“[Modesto] remains determined and passionate, both qualities of which are directed toward advocating for her teammates, supporting those around her, and pursuing what she believes will help the group succeed,” Jones raved. “She leads by example and demonstrates, every day, what sustained effort, accountability, and a commitment to personal growth can accomplish.”
Modesto and the 15-2 Garnets ride a 13-game winning streak into postseason play. Rye is the #1 seed in the sectional tournament and will open up play at home on Saturday, October 31. The Garnets are in pursuit of their second consecutive sectional tournament title after failing to win even one from the program’s inception until 2024.
Modesto remains uncommitted regarding her next educational – and likely athletic – step. She becomes the second Rye High School senior to win Athlete of the Month this academic year, joining Peter Wilmot (boys soccer, September 2025).
