High School Sports Awards: Transitioning from tennis to volleyball proved pivotal for Michigan's sensational Ava Brizard
As a child of parents who played tennis, Ava Brizard developed a natural affinity for the sport. But after playing for 11 years, her mother suggested Brizard try a team sport. The rest, as they say, is history.
"I went to a couple of (volleyball) clinics and I just absolutely fell in love with it," the Marian High School (MI) standout said. "The coolest part for me is you got to cheer with your team in between every play. And no other sport does that. That was part of the reason I fell in love with volleyball."
The stellar outside hitter capped her senior season by helping the Mustangs capture back-to-back Michigan High School Athletic Association Division 1 state volleyball crowns, joining her teammates and coaches in embracing an emotional, roller coaster journey that unfolded over the last two years.
"It was probably the craziest experience of my entire life," Brizard said regarding journey. "On the surface, winning two state championships is crazy as it is, but then when you look at what we had to go through to get there, it just put everything into perspective."
During the 2020 season Marian High School's volleyball program experienced a series of pandemic-related stops and starts while also navigating remote learning, varied testing protocols and absorbing the loss of Athletic Director David Feldman to COVID-19.
"When our athletic director passed away, it made the state championship so much more than just winning for ourselves as a team, but for the community, the Feldman family, our coaches and our families," she said, noting the Mustangs were underdogs en route to the title. "It became so much more than just a game. Coming into the 2021 season as the favorites, that was a different mentality of having the targets on our backs. Everyone on this team, along with the coaches, entered the gym every day to work hard and never took a day off."
Marian High School Head Volleyball Coach Mayssa Cook extended kudos to Brizard, fellow seniors Janiah Jones, Sarah Sylvester and Sophia Treder, as well as their teammates, for the manner in which they applied themselves to a myriad of challenges.
"Ultimately, their personalities, character and skill level contributed to why we've been as successful as we are," she said. "It's probably one of the ultimate team sports and because the ball never stops, you're very much dependent on your teammates and each person working their best to better the ball, backing each other up - and that's the beauty of the sport. These kids are special."
The North Carolina State University-bound Brizard helped Marian High School to a 53-1 mark in her final year en route to a team-best 602 kills, to pair with 408 digs, 53 serving aces and 41 blocks. But Cook indicated there is more to the American Volleyball Coaches Association first team All-America performer resting beyond numbers.
"Easily, when it comes to attitude, effort, being respectful and how she treats her teammates, I've never coached anyone like her," Cook said. "I've coached a lot of amazing players, but nobody yet, in my 20 years of coaching, has been the total package like Ava. Despite the long list of accolades, she's the kid who has no problem sweeping the floor, setting up the net and making sure everyone on the team is okay."
Brizard said one of the most endearing elements of the sport is the team-centered dynamic.
"In volleyball you learn to lean on your teammates for support," the 2021 Michigan Miss Volleyball selection said. "If you're making errors or don't know what to do, you can just turn to your teammate and they will be there to support you. And you can do the same for others. That is what makes volleyball so amazing."
Whether its high school, college or club volleyball, Brizard counts herself as a fan, often watching tournament matches that she said yield inspiration to enhance every nuance of her game. The foundation of such is positivity and hard work.
"If you've played volleyball for five years or less than six months, you can get to the next level," she said. "All it takes is the right mentality and work ethic. I think every little girl out there should pursue their dream, because you only live once and it's important that you be happy. Playing sports and being a student-athlete is going to be a hard journey, so it's important to surround yourself with great people and be that helpful person. Enjoy the little things and be that link for others."
Brizard said choosing North Carolina State University as the site where she will expand her scholastic and athletic pursuits is one of the best decisions she has ever made.
"I ended up making my decision in October 2020 and I never looked back," she said. "The facilities at NC State are beautiful, the ACC is a growing conference and there is just a lot of opportunity at NC State for me to make an impact. I loved the fact that they taught me something new about volleyball every single time that I talked with them."
Cook said the most rewarding element of what she does is seeing her student-athletes smile.
"You just see the growth in them and it gets to a point where truly I care more about their feelings than I ever had before in my younger years of coaching," she said. "I just want to see them happy - smiling, healthy and feeling proud of their accomplishments, win or lose."