MORAN — Marmaton Valley High School volleyball player Janae Granere was named October’s Iola Register Athlete of the Month.
Granere, along with the rest of her teammates, finished the season with a 21-15 overall mark and a 9-5 record in Three Rivers district play. The Wildcats fell to Olpe in the playoffs.
Granere, a junior, has played since she was in seventh grade.
“I’ve learned to never take anything for granted because it’s over quicker than you think,” Granere said. “I’ve been playing with the seniors since seventh grade and it’s crazy to think that we’ll never step on the court together ever again.”
Granere finished her junior campaign as the starting middle hitter and leading her team on offense with two kills per set (173 for the season), 3.4 digs per set (292 overall), 43 total blocks and 250 receptions.
“Killing the ball was probably my biggest role,” said Granere. “I really tried over the summer working on switching up my hits and my blocks and I feel like I had my best high school season with hits. I think it also helped having a team behind me that uplifted me.”
Granere applauded first-year head coach Sharon Fritch for boosting team morale.
“I think we had a really good season and improved our attitudes,” Granere said. “In past years, the only time we were ever together was in practice and we never really did anything together. There were so many negative attitudes that we could never put anything together.”
She enjoys patrolling the middle of the court, where she focuses on keeping teammates working as a unit.
“I love hitting in the middle, I cannot hit it outside,” Granere said. “I felt like my role was to really get the team going because if I got a good hit I felt like that helped set the game.”
GRANERE’S brother, Jaedon, is a standout on the football field. The siblings have been known to bond through sports and in the weight room.
Granere said having her brother alongside helps push her even at home.
“We both want to win and we don’t like losing,” she laughed. “We really push each other in the weight room during the offseason, because if not, we just bully each other.”
Granere and teammate Tayven Sutton were the team’s top leaders.
The senior Sutton also had a dominant season on the court, leading the team from the serving line with 98 aces and 1.1 ace serve per set.
