Brooklyn Cohen is an ASU Cronkite School of Journalism student assigned to cover Notre Dame Prep High School for AZPreps365.com. 

The Notre Dame Prep girls volleyball team, a tight-knit group of players, is reaching the end of another stellar season. With a 24-9 record, and a third-place finish in the 5A- East Sky Conference, the Saints are gearing up for a postseason run they hope will end in a state championship. 

At the team’s core are two players who have been incredibly important to its success. Seniors Mya Clay and Ella Gridley, both in their fourth season on varsity, have been instrumental in leading the team and inspiring the team’s underclassmen. 

Clay, a middle blocker, and Gridley, an outside hitter, both began their Notre Dame Prep volleyball careers as freshmen on varsity in the fall of 2021.

Now as seniors, the two are imparting their knowledge to the younger players, the same way the upperclassmen did when Clay and Gridley were freshmen.

“The upperclassmen taught me how to persevere in the intense moments of a match and remain calm and to focus on one ball at a time,” Clay said. “Outside of volleyball, they taught me to be confident in myself. I remember seeing them around school and thinking, ‘I want to be like them when I am a senior.’ They were the best role models for me during that formative time in my life and as a senior, I still think about what they would say or do in certain situations.”

 

Mya Clay blocks a ball during a match at Notre Dame Prep as Roie Van Devander looks on. (Photo courtesy of Peak Image Photo)

 

Both players also gained valuable insight from their teammates when they started out. Gridley said she learned about the importance of confidence and determination, while Clay said that she learned how to be encouraging and kind to teammates.

Saints head coach Ali Svorinic has seen firsthand the impact that Clay and Gridley have had on their team. As an assistant coach in 2022 and 2023 before taking over as head coach, she has had a front-row view to Clay and Gridley’s growth throughout their years at Notre Dame Prep. 

“They were definitely watching the upper classmen when they were younger,” Svorinic said. “How they're leading the team, pushing through a long season, staying competitive and keeping the right mindset, and just staying positive and having fun.”

Svorinic understands the unique position they are in as fourth-year varsity players, and having been able to connect with some of the underclassmen on the team who began on varsity as well. 

“I think that with them being able to see that it was an easy transition, for them to fight this last season, they've really embraced that, and I think they're just really enjoying their time,” Svorinic said. “They know that their time as a high school volleyball player is short, and so the four years just fly by.”

During Clay and Gridley’s first season, Notre Dame Prep went 37-5, finished first in the 4A West Valley conference with an 11-0 record and won the 4A conference championship. The Saints lost in the semifinals in 2022 and 2023, falling just short of the championship match. In their final season at Notre Dame Prep, Clay and Gridley, along with the rest of the seniors, hope to rewrite the script and bring another championship to the school. 

 

Ella Gridley serves during a game at Notre Dame Prep during the 2024 season. (Photo courtesy of Peak Image Photo)

 

Clay currently leads the team in total blocks, with 48, and Gridley is third on the team in total aces and aces per set, with 44 and 0.5 respectively. 

Even though Clay and Gridley aren’t the team captains, they still find ways to lead the team and teach the younger players. Clay, as a middle blocker, gets the chance to lead her team on the court and off every game, playing three rotations on the court and spending three rotations off. Gridley has had a less consistent role, sometimes playing as a six-rotation outside hitter, and sometimes playing three rotations in the back row, but she also has been able to inspire her younger teammates and stand out to her teammates and coach.

“Ella and Mya have been able to embrace their role as seniors,” Svorinic said. “And just because they aren't labeled a captain, there's still a way to lead. And I think they've just done a really nice job helping out underclassmen within their same position.” 

In their final few games at Notre Dame Prep, Clay and Gridley are taking in every moment.

“I am leaving everything on the court and giving every play my all,” Gridley said. “As I play in these final games, I want to have as much fun as possible with my team and give them lasting memories.”

With the 5A conference tournament having kicked off on Nov. 5, and Notre Dame Prep winning its first game on Nov. 7, the Saints are heading to the next round and giving it their all in the final push of the season.

“I am trying to soak up each moment of every game and just have fun,” Clay said. “I love playing in high intensity matches so in those moments I remember to breathe and enjoy that feeling because soon I won’t feel it again.”