Pewamo-Westphalia's Taylor Smith named Miss Volleyball

WESTPHALIA — When Taylor Smith learned Monday morning the school would be holding a special assembly in the afternoon, she was confused.

The rest of her Pewamo-Westphalia teammates were just as confused as they entered the gym and sat in chairs on the court with the band playing music and the rest of the student body looking on from the bleachers.

Smith initially thought her team would be honored for its latest regional title. But things started running through Smith's head as she heard little things during the early portion of the assembly.

And then Smith saw a big trophy come out and learned the true reason for the ceremony: She was the winner of the Michigan Interscholastic Volleyball Coaches Association's Miss Volleyball award.

Even as she started putting things together, Smith said it was shocking to learn she was selected as this year's winner.

"I've said to someone before when they've asked me do you think you're going to win that I'm really just honored to be nominated," Smith said. "I just really didn't think it was going to happen. I'm really honored. I'm just really excited."

Smith, who is committed to continue her career at Eastern Michigan, became the first Miss Volleyball winner from Greater Lansing since Corunna's Meredith Norris earned the honor in 2016.

"I think it just really makes me thankful," Smith said. "It took a lot to get here, but it also took a lot of people to get here. It just makes me really thankful for the all the people who helped me get here because there was a lot of them."

Lakewood's Carley Piercefield, who signed to continue her career at Western Michigan last week, was also among the finalists for the award.

Smith, a senior setter, has been an impact player during her four-year varsity career with the Pirates. As a junior last season, Smith helped P-W break through and capture its first state title in program history. That success followed a sophomore season where she helped the Pirates reach the state quarterfinals.

Now in her final season, Smith has amassed more than 3,000 assists while putting the No. 2-ranked Pirates in the mix for a repeat. P-W faces No. 4 Kalamazoo Christian — its opponent in last year's state title game — in a Division 3 quarterfinal at 7 p.m. Tuesday at Kalamazoo Loy Norrix.

Coaches have taken notice of the role Smith has placed in P-W's success, which led to Monday's historic moment for the school.

"I'd never thought in all the times that I'd be coaching volleyball — especially at a small school — that I'd have a Miss Volleyball winner," P-W coach Jon Thelen said. "It tends to go to the big schools. It's just how it is. They get all the exposure and all that. (This award) is a testament to how good of a player she is. Everybody got a chance to see her at the state finals last year and I'm glad because I've known how good she is for a long time of course because I see her all the time in practice.

"It's great for our town. It's great for the kids in the program to see that hey, just because you're not at a big school doesn't mean you can't get the big awards."

Contact Brian Calloway at bcalloway@lsj.com. Follow him on X @brian_calloway.

This article originally appeared on Lansing State Journal: Pewamo-Westphalia's Taylor Smith named Michigan's Miss Volleyball