Briggs, Grant the unsung heroes of Legacy 18-Elite’s top-ranked team
Paige Briggs It would be hard to point out one player as the star of Legacy 18-Elite during the 2019 club season. The AAU national champions and top-ranked team in the nation were talented all over the court with future…
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Continue ReadingIt would be hard to point out one player as the star of Legacy 18-Elite during the 2019 club season.
The AAU national champions and top-ranked team in the nation were talented all over the court with future Division 1 stars at every position.
However, the team did have a pair of unsung heroes that really kept the wheels in motion throughout the season. Those unsung heroes were Paige Briggs (Western Kentucky) and Hannah Grant (Michigan State).
Head coach Rick Cottrill knew that the key to the season was going to be the passing of Legacy 18-Elite and both Briggs and Grant were crucial to that aspect.
“We expected to shine in our serve receive this year, but I didn’t think we would be as good as we were. We pretty much had just three primary passers in Briggs, (Jessica) Mruzik and Grant,” Cottrill said. “They averaged a 2.24 on the season. I knew if we would be able to pass the ball well, we were going to be tough to beat. We have hitting weapons all over the court and a tremendous setter to run the offense, so when we are able to pass at that high a level, there’s not much you can do to stop us. Our serve receive was really a big key to our success throughout the whole season.”
Briggs had a particularly impressive last 12 months. The senior led Lake Orion to the Division 1 state championship this past fall. She had 43 kills while hitting .429 in a five-set semifinal win over Mercy, and then had 30 kills while hitting .491 in the four-set championship win over Rockford.
For Legacy, Briggs could get lost in the shuffle of all the talented hitters, but her all-around skills were really on display when in the back row. During the AAU Junior National Championships, opponents tried to key in on Briggs with their serve, and she made them pay for it.
“Paige Briggs doesn’t get all the recognition in club because we have so many hitters and that is what gets a lot of the attention, but she really was as consistent a player as you could ask for,” Cottrill said. “Against Sports Performance (in the semifinal), they served at her 17 times and she passed a 2.65. A 3.0 is perfect, and it goes to show just how well she played. We wouldn’t be the team we were without our serve receive.”
Hannah GrantGrant was Legacy’s libero and her consistent play could also get lost in the team’s impressive offensive numbers. Often facing the top prep hitters in the country, Grant was always up for the challenge and allowed Legacy to stay in system for long rallies.
“To me, Hannah is the best libero in the country,” Cottrill said earlier in the season. “She doesn’t always get the credit she deserves because people always want to talk about the big hitters, and we have tons of those, but Hannah is really the unsung hero for our team. She has all the intangibles to be a great collegiate player and she does all the things that nobody sees to really help this team win. She is facing some of the best hitters in the country for her age and has been consistent throughout. She’s a really special player.”
Grant wrapped up her prep season this past fall art Northville, guiding the Mustangs to the Division 1 state semifinals.