Senior Leaders Shining for Lady Leps Volleyball

Cierra McCain’s first few weeks as La Grange volleyball coach have been eased by having six standout seniors on this year’s team.

Those seniors are Avery Griffin, Mriyah Holmes, Haedyn Cooper, Campbell Cooper, Hannah Gross and Jace Baptiste.

“They want to leave a lasting impact,” McCain said of those seniors. “They want to be leaders. They want to go far. Having those six on the court will really help us.”

Because of that amazing seniors leadership, we’re proud to honor those six as this week’s Fayette County Athletes of the Week.

We caught up with all six last week prior to the start of the season.

They couldn’t be more different. A mix of offensive and defensive players, some of the seniors plan to be college athletes, some are already making plans for after high school that don’t include athletics.

But they all are hungry to make their final volleyball season in purple and gold a memorable one.

Griffin, a tall, powerful force at the net, has already accepted a scholarship offer to play for East Central University in Oklahoma, a NCAA Div. 2 school.

“The day I committed, there was such a weight off my shoulders,” Griffin said. “I’m so excited to be able to keep playing the sport I love. Ready to soak in every moment of my senior year but also ready to get to college. They (East Central) had come to one of my tournaments in Houston, and reached out to me. I fell in love with the place as soon as I got there.”

Campbell Cooper is headed to college athletics after graduation as well, but not as a volleyball player.

“For me basketball is my main sport,” said Campbell Cooper, the leading scorer on last year’s La Grange girls basketball team that tied a program record for most wins in a season (30). “Basketball’s what I love, but I enjoy volleyball too.”

After her older brother Clayton, a former star Leps quarterback, signed a scholarship deal with Arkansas Tech, she reached out to the coaches there expressing interest, and they offered her a scholarship.

Hannah Gross was a key part of last year’s girls basketball team too, and she plays volleyball with the same intensity. While she’s hoping to play hoops at the next level (and purse a degree in nursing at the same time), right now she’s focused on helping her team have a great volleyball season.

“We’ve been working hard all summer, in summer league and on our skills,” Gross said. “I’m really excited for what this year has in store for us. We all show incredible talent and I think we’re going to do really amazing this season.”

Varsity newcomer Holmes said she’s excited about being a senior “It’s new but it’s fun because I get to mentor the younger girls coming up,” said Holmes, who said she wants to go to Sam Houston State to study to become a Anesthesiologist Assistant. “We look really good. We’re trying a lot of new things this season, and I’m excited to showcase them.”

While Haedyn Cooper lacks the height of some of her senior teammates, it hasn’t kept her from making a big impact on the court as a defensive specialist.

“So far I feel like we have really good chemistry on this team, and I think we have a lot of potential,” said Haedyn Cooper, who is a multi-sport star for the Lady Leps, and hopes to play collegiate softball.

Jace Baptiste, like a lot of the other seniors, said her goals this season include beating Bellville and making a long playoff run.

Even though she’s just a few days into her senior year, it’s already flying by. Baptiste said she has a family connection to Prairie View A&M and also feels a pull to go there and study something in the veterinary field.

“I swear I was just in eighth grade, and I’m a senior now,” Baptiste laughed.