Mary Hannah Arrington a true team volleyball player

Mary Hannah Arrington has thrived under pressure ever since she first took the court for the Pope (Marietta, Ga.) Greyhounds. At no time was that more evident than in the state finals during her sophomore season.

Trailing Walton 13-8 in the final game of the Class AAAAA championship game, Pope needed a miracle comeback in order to beat their rivals. Arrington stepped to the service line to provide just that.

"It's literally do or die time," said Pope coach Bryan Jones. "She knew she had to get them in, but she couldn't take it too easy on them. She had to keep the serves tough enough to keep Walton out of system. Thanks to the consistent pressure she brought with her serve, we go on a seven-point run and we win the state final."

"The TV crew covering the finals was extremely impressed at the calm, cool and collected 10th grader who just served under such enormous pressure and they named her the finals MVP," Jones added.



Arrington called her performance the most memorable in her volleyball career that has been filled with memorable moments. She first got a taste for the sport when she peppered in the front yard with cousin Adam Horstman, a former University of Southern California and European pro player. Her latest accomplishment was competing in the 2011 Junior Olympics in Atlanta.

"Words can't describe all of the emotions I felt walking out onto center court," said Arrington. "I still get chills thinking about it today. Our whole team put in so much hard work and effort all season long and I am so proud of everyone. Everyone played together as a team and that's why we did so well."

Being a team member is Arrington's strongest quality, according to Jones.

"She is a dedicated team player," said Jones. "She has a very solid grasp on the importance of ‘team' in competition. She is extremely supportive of her fellow players."

Jones also notes that Arrington is very humble despite her many accomplishments.

"She is polite- for the first couple years on varsity I literally had to tell her 100's of times that she doesn't have to call me ‘sir' she can just call me ‘coach' or most of the kids just refer to me as ‘Jones,'" he said. "She just has a really good grip on reality. Even with all the on the court accolades she's received she still remains humble and works hard at everything she does."



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{PAGEBREAK}While Jones recognizes that Arrington is a team player, he also knows that her abilities make her one of the best in the nation.

"Honestly, from day one I knew Mary Hannah was going to do something great with volleyball," Jones said. "I actually was watching her play in an 8th grade match with our feeder program when I first noticed her talent. Everything she did was so fluid and smooth- footwork, arm swing, passing form, but the biggest thing was she was already reading and anticipating the game so well."

"I really think Mary Hannah is one of the best all-around players I've ever coached. She literally can do it all," he added.

Awards have been plentiful for the Greyhound senior. She was the Cobb County Player of the Year and the Marietta Journal Player of the Year as a junior. She also earned Georgia 4A Player of the Year honors and was a MaxPreps All-American.



Arrington also helped lead the Greyhounds to a pair of state championships, a AAAAA title in 2009 and a AAAA crown in 2010. Last year she had 452 kills to go with 275 digs and 92 aces.

Despite the individual honors, Arrington's goals for her senior season remain the same – win a third straight state title.

"We want to win another state championship," she said. "I think Pope is stronger than ever this year. We have a lot of postseason experience and we have extremely strong team unity."

The Greyhounds are off to a strong start with only one loss on the season, a defeat at the hands of defending 5A state champion Walton.

"Walton and Chattahoochee will be our toughest competition this year," said Arrington. "They are both solid teams with many high level players."

Already committed to play at Auburn University, where her father Pat played football in the 1980s, Arrington is looking forward to playing at the next level.



"I'm extremely excited for the opportunity of being a D1 student athlete, but I know it's going to take a lot of work and effort, because even though I've already been playing at a high level, college is a whole new level of commitment and dedication," she said.

Arrington credits her many coaches with preparing her to take the next step.

"I've learned something from every coach I've ever had," she said. "It started with Dan Clotfelter who taught me the fundamentals of volleyball. Bryan Jones was my next coach and he taught me to always have fun when I play. It's just a game. Suzanne Fitzgerald came next and taught me what team commitment and determination really meant. My most current coach Heidi VanBeveren taught me a lot about mental toughness."

She added that the recruiting process was stressful at times but that making her final choice was not difficult.

"It wasn't hard for me choosing Auburn," she said. "I have always known it like a second home and I just got that gut feeling when I was there."

Besides winning a state championship, Arrington stresses that she strives every day to become a better team player and to be a role model on and off the court.



"Make sure you love the sport if you plan to go this far. Play because you want to and that you enjoy the sport," Arrington advises. "Remember that volleyball is a team sport. Always put your team's success in front of your personal success."