The current postseason run with the Greenwood Christian volleyball team might be the last for Grace Peters, and she’s planning to make the most of it.
Peters, a senior outside hitter for Class A No. 15 Cougars, has settled on a major (nursing) and narrowed her college choices to two (Taylor and Indiana Wesleyan), but it remains to be seen if this is her final season of competitive volleyball.
Having played since she was 8, Peters, a four-year starter who is the Cougars’ leader in kills this season with 226, knows letting go wouldn’t be easy.
“It would be extremely difficult,” Peters said. “It’s just an all-in sport. You’re diving on the floor to save a ball that’s just flying everywhere. It’s just so fun.”
Asked how she might fill that void, Peters, who carries a 3.86 grade-point average, said, “School work and trying to have a social life.”
If this is Peters’ final year playing, she plans on going out in style. GCA is 23-8 entering this week’s Morristown Sectional. The Cougars drew a bye and won’t play until facing Central Christian Academy in a Saturday morning semifinal.
Greenwood Christian defeated the Chargers during the regular season, 25-6, 25-9, 25-11. Peters did her part in that match with four kills, four digs and a season-high seven service aces.
One of three team captains, Peters isn’t bashful about trying to get herself and her teammates to play at a higher level.
“Gracie’s pretty vocal,” GCA coach Kayla Back said. “She just has this drive to win, so she makes incredible plays in big moments. She’s kind of the glue that sticks everyone together.
“She wants to be the best she can be every single day. She practices hard, she plays hard. She’s harder on herself than anybody else is on her, and has that drive that you can’t teach.”
Much of Peters’ well-rounded volleyball skill-set is traced to her having played two positions since the start of the 2014 season.
The Cougars’ libero early in her career, Peters was moved outside late in her sophomore campaign. As a junior she played an integral role in GCA winning its first sectional championship.
“She’s second in digs all the time. She just knows where the floor is,” Back said. “Gracie is definitely a defensive-minded player, but she’s a powerful hitter. She gets her arm up really fast and gets on top of the ball.
“She’s very athletic. She’s able to jump out of the gym sometimes.”
Not literally, which is good.
If Greenwood Christian Academy is to make a deep postseason run, the Cougars will need Peters on the floor looking to stretch what might be her final season of volleyball as far as she can.
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Class 4A Martinsville Sectional
Thursday
Franklin vs. Martinsville, 6 p.m.
Whiteland vs. Greenwood, 7:30 p.m.
Saturday
Thursday’s winners, 11 a.m.
Center Grove vs. Franklin Central, 12:30 p.m.
Championship, 7 p.m.
Class 3A Indian Creek Sectional
Thursday
Danville vs. Beech Grove, 6 p.m.
Indianapolis Manual vs. Indianapolis Herron, 7:30 p.m.
Saturday
Thursday’s winners, 11 a.m.
Indian Creek vs. Tri-West, 12:30 p.m.
Championship, 7 p.m.
Class A Edinburgh Sectional
Thursday
Shawe Memorial vs. Medora, 6 p.m.
West Washington vs. Crothersville, 7:30 p.m.
Saturday
Thursday’s winners, 11 a.m.
Edinburgh vs. Trinity Lutheran, 12:30 p.m.
Championship, 7 p.m.
Class A Morristown Sectional
Thursday
Christel House vs. Indianapolis Lutheran, 6 p.m.
Morristown vs. Providence Cristo Rey, 7:30 p.m.
Saturday
Lighthouse Christian-Central Christian winner (Tuesday) vs. Greenwood Christian, 11 a.m.
Thursday’s winners, 12:30 p.m.
Championship, 7 p.m.
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