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West Valley City Journal

Lancer volleyball players learned life lessons this season

Dec 10, 2020 10:15AM ● By Greg James

Grangers volleyball teams finished third in Region 2 this season. (Photo courtesy of Granger volleyball)

By Greg James | [email protected] 

Players on the Granger High School volleyball team had more than a sports experience this fall. They learned life lessons by balancing school, sports, work and family commitments. 

“We have girls that are involved in a lot of different things,” Granger High School girls volleyball coach Howard Gravelle said. “Very few of them do just one thing. They work and are in Polynesian dance clubs. They are athletes that are cognizant of the entire life experience.”

Junior outside hitter Mele Wolfgramm has learned to balance a babysitting job, family and school work.

“If I am not babysitting then I am home with my family,” Wolfgramm said. “It is hard to find time to balance. I have a club season and a job and then there is all my school work.”

In sports as in life, success is going to require the athlete to do some things that are not enjoyable. Granger’s 2020 season was difficult.

“Our team definitely got stronger under challenging conditions,” Gravelle said. “I thought we did well. One of our biggest challenges was we never knew who was going to be available. We were constantly in flux and changing. I do not think I had the same lineup in two straight games. It was less than ideal.”

The global pandemic forced the postponement of several games and the Lancers were forced to play short-handed while players spent time in quarantine.

They defeated Cyprus, Kearns and Taylorsville twice each this season. Their third-place finish in the Utah High School Activities Association’s Region 2 helped them qualify 14th for the state tournament. The UHSAA uses a rating performance index to seed teams into its state tournament.

Granger hosted a first-round playoff game and lost to Westlake (25-13, 25-17, 25-17)

“Our team did very well,” Wolfgramm said. “We had some ups and downs but together we lifted our spirits and hopes. We brought each other up when times were hard. We did not have the outcome we expected but I enjoyed being able to play with our girls.”

Junior Lisi Fuimaono led the team in kills during the regular season with 100. Sophomore Jaylina Taula was a leader in service aces and junior Christina Malaeulu in assists.

“She (Malaeulu) was definitely a leader and one of our more consistent players, but we did have a committee of girls that spoke up,” Gravelle said.

Finishing in third place in the region was a disappointment to a team that placed second last season and was back-to-back champions in 2017 and 2018. Gravelle took over as head coach this season after being an assistant for the last four years.

“We have a younger team and only lose one varsity starter. It has set us up to be hungrier and more competitive next year,” Gravelle said. “We were not the tallest or the fastest but as a whole, we ended being a really good team. Once we identified our mistakes we moved forward and did not make them again. We have quite a few players that are new to the game. We have a good group of girls. They are involved and are getting experience that will benefit them for the rest of their lives.”