Few people can appreciate the value of teamwork better than Morgan Johns.
As an outside hitter for the women's volleyball team, Johns is thankful for the camaraderie she shares with her teammates, both on and off the court.
In volleyball, she said, being able to depend on the support from her fellow players makes games more enjoyable than if she were playing a sport individually.
"It means more knowing you have someone else there with you," Johns said. "Someone who helps pump you up during the game and gives you energy to feed off of."
Johns, senior in communications, transferred from Florida Atlantic University as a junior and soon afterward joined the volleyball team.
During the past year, she has emerged as one of its top players, making a name for herself as a force to be reckoned with.
Last year she recorded the second highest number of kills for the season, and her attack percentage ranked fourth overall on the team.
She led the Tigers with 17 kills and had a .429 attack percentage against the Arkansas Razorbacks.
Coach Wade Benson believes Johns was a major contributor to the team's success last year and is confident she will do the same again this season.
Benson said she has already been the go-to player for the team this year and thinks Johns might even end up being the athlete of the week for the SEC as well.
"She has definitely earned that right with her great hitting performances for the last two matches," Benson said. "She always has a go-to and can-do attitude during the games."
Teammate and defensive specialist Liz Crouch agreed that Johns is a vital and powerful member on the team.
Crouch, senior in exercise science, has played volleyball for the University for four years and has known Johns for a year.
"Morgan is the kind of person that, no matter what, I would always want to get the ball," Crouch said. "If it's game point, then she's the one I would want playing for us."
Crouch said Johns is a dependable person and teammate and is a valuable player to have on the court.
"Many of the points from previous games were scored by her, and she has consistently blown away the competition all season," Crouch said. "She was the one who kept going after the ball and putting it down. I think that she definitely deserves to be athlete of the week."
Johns said she does not consider her greatest accomplishment to be the amount of points she has scored or the games where she helped lead the team to victory. Instead, she said she feels proud knowing that her teammates look to her as the person who can get the job done.
"Their trust means the most to me," Johns said.
Do you like this story? The Plainsman doesn't accept money from tuition or student fees, and we don't charge a subscription fee. But you can donate to support The Plainsman.
