Michigan’s Gatorade Volleyball POY, Brizard, has state championship repeat on her mind
BLOOMFIELD HILLS, Mich. (BVM) — Ava Brizard accomplished plenty last fall with the Marian Mustangs, but this spring, she got to enjoy an individual honor not many ever receive.
Recently, Brizard was named Gatorade Michigan Volleyball Player of the Year. Finding out she won the honor during her first hour physics class at school, the award means everything to the rising senior.
“I had my computer open and I saw this email come up from Gatorade and was like, ‘What is this,’” Brizard said. “My hand flew over my mouth and I turned around my computer. My friends around me were freaking out and my teacher screamed. It was just so special. I was so shocked and in tears. Winning Gatorade Player of the Year is one of the biggest honors I’ve had in my career. It makes me feel like I’m on top of the world.”
Brizard’s career on the volleyball court continues to climb to the top. Although she may be a bit of a late bloomer in the sport, the last six years of playing have brought about many fond memories for the talented star.
“I played tennis from when I was 3 to when I was 11,” Brizard noted. “But then I started playing volleyball and fell in love with it.”
Convinced by her mom to try out a team sport, Brizard attended a volleyball camp, and the rest is history. The outside hitter with great speed and vision first began playing with Team Detroit, and soon began playing with Michigan Elite, who she still competes with today.
Up until she was 14, Brizard played up with the Class of 2021, giving her invaluable experience early on in her career.
“I love the club,” Brizard said about Michigan Elite. “They’ve done so much for me. The first couple years I played up and that definitely exceled my game. Playing with those older girls taught me that I need to be tough, I need to be fast and it definitely helped me develop my skills.”
It didn’t take long for many to realize Brizard had an elite talent on the volleyball court, and it was further vindicated after a club game when she first began playing.
“At one tournament, my dad told me after the game that one of the parents from the other team came up to him and said, ‘Your daughter is very special, her energy is something that’s very rare and I think she’s going to go really far,’” Brizard said. “That really just touched my heart that someone would come and say that to my dad and it made me stop and think that maybe I can do something with this.”
Brizard has not only starred with Michigan Elite, but also her high school team at Marian. The outside hitter began playing right away for the Mustangs, producing quality seasons in each of her first two years. However, the Mustangs would not get as far as they wanted, losing in regionals to Detroit Mercy both seasons.
“We performed well both those years,” Brizard said. “Both times we made it to the regional round, but both times we lost to our archrival, Detroit Mercy.”
Marian was determined to go further this past fall. Initially, though, they weren’t sure if they would even get to play, let alone get to compete at a state tournament.
“From day one our goal was a state championship, even when we didn’t know if we were going to have a season or a state tournament,” Brizard said. “A lot of the gyms weren’t open so we went out and practiced in the grass or practiced in the sand, even when it was basically mud. After losing in that regional semifinal the year before in such a tight match, we knew what we wanted to do was win a state championship.
“It was really scary not knowing whether we were going to play or not. There were times where we just had to lean on each other because it was so uncertain. But I was just so thankful it ended up working out and those pauses during the season made me realize how important volleyball and this Marian team were to me. It just put everything in perspective.”
Despite a roster with no seniors, the Mustangs’ patience, perseverance and hard work would pay off.
“We came out swinging this season,” Brizard said. “One thing that really propelled us was beating Detroit Mercy in the Catholic League finals. That gave us that confidence because we knew that we were going to see them again. This was one of the closest teams I’ve been on in my volleyball career and I think that really helped us in those clutch moments.”
The rivals indeed faced off yet again in the regional finals. But this time, the outcome went the Mustangs’ way, and they rode their momentum all the way to state.
However, while at state in Battle Creek, Mich., more adversity struck Marian, as longtime athletic director Dave Feldman passed away the night before the Mustangs’ semifinal matchup.
“It was very devastating because he was such a big fan of volleyball and a big fan of Marian sports in general,” Brizard said. “He was one of the most supportive people. Losing him the night before that big of a game was really tough on all of us. But once again, that adversity really pushed us forward and we knew we needed to win it for him now.”
Some additional adversity did not phase the Mustangs, and the extra incentive to play in Feldman’s honor springboarded the team further. Despite a close semifinal match, Marian advanced to the state final.
“I personally could feel Mr. Feldman in the stands there with us,” Brizard mentioned. “We pushed through it, and that overwhelming relief and joy when the final ball hit the ground in that semifinal was amazing.”
Marian was not going to look back once reaching the state final. And in the final game of the season, the Mustangs played their best, led by a career-night from Brizard who tallied nearly 30 kills.
“We just came out on fire,” Brizard said. “It clicked at the right moment, and we were just unstoppable. I was so proud of the way everyone performed in that match. I had one of the games of my life and my teammates played so well. It was just such a special moment to win that for our community, for Mr. Feldman, for everyone else. It’s one I’ll never forget.”
The state title was a special and emotional way to cap off an impressive season for Brizard. On the year, the outside hitter tallied 598 kills, 412 digs, 37 blocks and 35 service aces. She had a kill percentage of .492 along with a hitting percentage of .395. For her efforts, the impressive volleyball standout was named a first team All-American in the state.
“I’m absolutely honored,” Brizard said. “There’s a ton of amazing volleyball players in the state of Michigan, especially in Division I. To be named to the first team is so special to me, and I couldn’t have done it without my coaches or teammates.”
Winning the Gatorade award was a cherry on top of a near flawless season for Brizard. But with Marian’s entire roster returning in 2021, there is one goal in mind for the rising senior.
“Win another state championship,” Brizard said about her goals next season. “That’s the first thing I think of. I’m so stoked to have all of our girls back and the fact that we get to keep that connection and continue to get closer throughout the summer is so uplifting. We’re all on the same page and we set the bar higher and higher. If anything, I think we are going to be even better than what you saw last year.”
The 17-year-old is a highly-touted prospect who is ranked No. 75 nationally in the 2022 class. While her focus remains on the end of her high school career, Brizard has a Division I college future soon ahead of her at NC State after committing to the Wolfpack last year.
I am extremely excited to announce that I have verbally committed to play D1 volleyball at NC State University in fall 2022. Huge thank you to all of my coaches, teammates, friends, and my family for supporting me. GO PACK!🐺❤️🏐 pic.twitter.com/EuNCL5g2HK
— Ava Brizard (@ava_brizard) October 19, 2020
“I was talking to a couple other schools and a lot of great coaching staffs,” Brizard said. “But what really drew me to NC State was the coaching staff. I think I could really benefit from the knowledge that they’re bringing and I think I can bring a lot to the program at NC State.”
Brizard’s quick emergence in the sport of volleyball has taken her on a path not a lot of athletes get to go on. She will continue to stay involved with the sport in some capacity — whether it’s playing beach volleyball, playing internationally or coaching — throughout her life, but right now, it’s all about what she can bring to the Wolfpack after capping off her high school career.
“I’m super pumped to get down there and go to work,” Brizard concluded. “Winning an ACC championship would be a starting goal and making it to the NCAA Tournament would definitely be something we want to work towards. One of my dreams is also to be an All-American. That is such a highly-coveted honor within the college world and I would just love to have my hard work recognized in that way. I want to make NC State the best program it can be and give as much credit to its name as I possibly can as a player.”
