Volleyball player of the year (3A & below): Summer Greager, CSCS

In the middle of a volleyball match with Salida, Summer Greager and Morgan Evans started arguing with each other. All in good fun, Greager said she could play setter for Colorado Springs Christian School better than Evans. Meanwhile Evans argued she could be a better hitter than Greager.

So first-year coach Jennifer Evans let the two settle the dispute by switching positions. The move drew some odd stares from parents in the crowd.

But the two quickly realized how hard the other’s position was. Before the match was over they were back at their original spots.

“They both thought they could do the other one’s role better,” said Jennifer Evans, Morgan’s mom. “And they realized Morgan’s not an outside hitter/defensive specialist, and Summer’s not a setter.”

Greager didn’t need another position. The outside hitter and defensive specialist for CSCS is The Gazette’s Small Schools Volleyball Player of the Year.

Greager’s play didn’t show how hard it is to play up and back. The Lions’ co-captain led the team in kills (356) and digs (464).

“It’s very difficult,” Greager said. “Not only do I have to be a scorer in the front row, I have to dig up other teams’ stuff.”

Jennifer Evans hasn’t seen many players who could excel at both positions so well.

“It’s incredibly rare,” Jennifer said. “If I didn’t have her in the back row I don’t know what I would’ve done without her.”

Greager’s talent and desire to win pushed the team.

“The biggest thing about Summer is that whenever she’s on the court she brings energy that gets the entire team going,” Morgan said. “At state, after a kill or something, the whole team gets a certain energy and feeds off that.”

On the court, Greager could be seen yelling encouragement at her teammates or demanding they play better. It’s one of the reason’s she was named captain, along with Morgan.

“I’m a very competitive person,” Greager said. “And I will push my team to do as well as they can. I know they can do better than their standards.”

All that competitiveness vanishes off the court. The Lions’ senior is one of the most nurturing people Jennifer has seen.

“I think she enjoyed being the captain this year and takes care of all the younger girls,” Jennifer said. “As a first-time head coach, she did that with me at times ... She’d bring me food or make sure I was getting taken care of.”

Greager also helped out at the Evans’ house.

“Last summer I was over there constantly,” said Greager, who helped when Morgan’s dad was in Africa. “I’d make them food and mow the lawn. (Morgan) was weed whacking.”

She didn’t say whether they argued over who was the better mower and who was the better weed whacker.

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