Maggie Phillips excelled on the volleyball court and in the classroom for Grace Christian this year.
As a senior, Phillips led the Lady Eagles in hitting percentage (19.1 percent), serving percentage (92.5), aces with 96. serving points with 245 and was second in kill percentage at 32.1%.
“She was fun to coach because she had such a joy for the sport,” said Jamey Willers. “You would often find her working outside of practice to perfect her serves and spikes. She had an awesome serve which just skimmed the net, and she learned how to place the ball well to a weaker receiver on the other team. Maggie wasn’t scared of the ball and her eagerness to spike and play volleyball was contagious.”
As good as she was in volleyball, she was even better in the classroom as valedictorian with a 4.2 GPA. “It's a lot about time management,” she said of her ability to play a sport and earn top grades.
Phillips began attending Grace Christian in the second grade when her family moved to Louisville from Cookeville, Tennessee. “We knew several teachers there and we knew it was a good school, very academically challenging.” she said. “The teachers really care about the students. They work individually with students. I'm very fortunate that I have been able to go there.”
She started playing volleyball as a seventh grader. “My sister played volleyball at the school a couple of years and she really like it, so I thought I would give it a try.”
She said playing volleyball was a bonding experience with her fellow students. “Most of the female students at Grace play on the volleyball team and it is one of the fun ways to create friendships from girls in the fifth and sixth grade to the senior class.”
Phillips hopes to play intramural volleyball at MSU.
Outside of school, a big interest has been the piano since she started taking lessons as a first grader. “I like playing all types of music. If I hear something I like, I like to play it.”
She especially enjoys playing the large piano at First Presbyterian Church of Louisville.
In the fall, she plans to enroll at Mississippi State where her sister Evelyn is a sophomore. She would like to major in biochemical engineering, then go to medical school, with the goal of being a pediatrician.
Phillips will graduate this year, but where and when is unknown due to the pandemic that has ended classroom teaching. Headmaster Jason Morgan said there will be a graduation.
“We do plan to have one at some point,” he said. “A date has not been finalized, and plans are sort of in limbo until we hear more from the state government on how to proceed.”
“It's been hard. I think I speak for the senior class,” Phillips said. “But we understand why it's happening this way.”
In the meantime, she remains connected with her classmates via facetime.
