Miss Volleyball Finalist Profile: Bronson’s Kiera Lasky
Kiera Lasky knows the odds may not be in her favor to be the 2018 Miss Volleyball winner, but she’s never let that stop her before. The lone libero to be named a finalist for the Player of the Year…
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Continue ReadingKiera Lasky knows the odds may not be in her favor to be the 2018 Miss Volleyball winner, but she’s never let that stop her before.
The lone libero to be named a finalist for the Player of the Year honor in the state of Michigan, Lasky has always set her goals to be greater than others would expect for her.
“She always was just a little competitor from the day I met her,” Bronson coach Jean LaClair said. “Even when she was just five feet, she told people she wanted to be an outside hitter. She has a tenacious attitude where she is going to compete and be the best that she can be at whatever she is doing. She pushes herself that hard.”
A fourth-year member of the Bronson volleyball team, Lasky has helped lead the Vikings to three consecutive Class C state championships, making her one of the finalists for Miss Volleyball.
“Honestly, I was really shocked that I was on the list just because not many liberoes get to be on the list,” Lasky said. “I am very excited to be a finalist, and it might be my name listed, but this is a team award. I wouldn’t be able to be a finalist if not for the help of my team and my coaches.”
Lasky first encountered LaClair when she was a team manager for Bronson later into her elementary school years. Wanting to be a big hitter like the players she would see then, Lasky eventually found passion in playing libero as she joined the Vikings in high school.
“Libero is a very important position on any team and I look at it as a leadership position,” Lasky, who stands 5-5, said. “People look at me what to do and I can take control back there and call the shots and get everyone in place.”
Lasky wouldn’t immediately land a starting position as a freshman, but once she was able to catch up to the speed of varsity play, LaClair couldn’t keep her off the floor.
In the 2015 season, Lasky would end up with 675 digs and she guided the Vikings to their first state championship since 2009.
“It took until about halfway in her freshman campaign that she really started to step up and turn into the kid that was going to be a difference maker,” LaClair said.
That battle for playing time continued to fuel Lasky’s competitive fire and drove her to become a next-level player in the years to come.
“Knowing I had someone challenging me for time on the court really made me grow as an athlete and a person,” Lasky said. “It made me understand how hard I would have to work to contribute to the team and then to have that hard work be rewarded meant a lot to me. It gave me the drive to keep working hard and know that the time I spend would pay off.”
As a sophomore, Lasky earned her first All-State honors, landing on the First Team after piling up 751 digs. As a junior, she upped that total to 769 digs and took over the Bronson record for most digs in a career. She was again named First Team All-State. Along with the individual honors, Lasky led Bronson to two more state championships.
“Her ability to read hitters gets better each year and each day,” LaClair said. “She can make the hardest hits look easy because she reads the hitter so well and puts herself in perfect position off the blockers.”
Along with her defensive ability, Lasky has developed into a tremendous server for the Vikings. She has had over 100 aces in each season, posting 107 in 2015, 112 in 2016 and 140 in 2017.
“Her serve has really come on with each year,” LaClair added. “She serves a tough ball that is tough to handle.”
Lasky credits LaClair, along with her husband Duane, for making her into the successful player she has become.
“I wouldn’t be half of the person or the player I am without her,” Lasky said of her coach. “She doesn’t just teach me volleyball skills, she teaches me life skills. She always teaches us to be the best person and player we can be. We definitely wouldn’t succeed as a team without her and her husband. He does a lot for the program as well.”
Now Lasky finds herself in position of doing something few players have been able to do in the state of Michigan, win four state championships in four years. To the senior, her focus isn’t on four titles, it’s just on one.
“It’s great that we have won the last three years, but they don’t mean anything to me right now,” Lasky said. “I am not working for something in the past, I am working for something in the future. That 2018 trophy is the top priority right now and we can’t get there by focusing on the past.”
Bronson is in Division 3 this season and should have a role in the title picture when all is said and done. When the season is over, Lasky will make a move to becoming a player at Davenport University, where she has verbally committed.
“I really liked the culture and I was immediately made to feel like part of the team,” Lasky said of Davenport. “I also felt like if something were to happen and I got injured and couldn’t play volleyball, that I would still be happy there. It’s a great school and a great campus. I really, really like everything about it.”
Long after Lasky has moved on from Bronson, LaClair is confident her impact will still be visible within the program.
“Her leadership and competitiveness is something that I think has been imprinted on this program,” LaClair said. “She holds her teammates accountable and if she sees a problem, she will take care of it herself. I think her leadership is something that will inspire others and really leave that lasting impact on the program.”