Set for Success
Marian volleyball star Ava Sarafa
By Steve Stein
Ava Sarafa became serious about playing volleyball when she was 11. Tall for her age, she figured she’d be a hitter. She never dreamed when she went to high school, she’d become one of the best setters in the state and a future Division I college player.
“I thought back then that if you’re tall, you’re a hitter. If you’re short, you’re a setter,” she said.
She thought wrong.
By the time Sarafa started playing club volleyball with Michigan Elite Volleyball Academy’s age 13 team, she was a setter. For those who aren’t familiar with volleyball, a setter is akin to a quarterback in football. The setter orchestrates a team’s offense, setting up the hitters on the front line, making sure each one gets the ball in the best position to do damage. Apparently Sarafa was born to be a setter.
“Ava has great hands. And she has a natural touch on the ball. That’s difficult to train,” said Mayssa Cook, who worked with Sarafa in her early years in volleyball and now is her volleyball coach at Birmingham Marian High School. Sarafa didn’t fight the decision to make her a setter.
“I was just starting out in volleyball. I wasn’t going to go against my coaches,” she said. “I decided to work as hard as I could to be the best setter I could be.” She’s so good at her craft that the 6-foot junior is a big reason why Marian has won back-to-back Division 1 state championships.
Sarafa is a three-year starter for the perennially powerful Mustangs, who also won back-to-back state titles in 2009 and 2010. “I always say a setter can make a hitter worse than she is, as good as she is, or better than she is. Ava makes a hitter better than she is,” Cook said.
Sarafa made a verbal commitment last fall to play volleyball for the University of Kentucky, last season’s NCAA champion, after she graduates from Marian. She announced her college decision on September 7, just one day after completing a three-day official visit to Kentucky.
“I kept an open mind while I was being recruited. In the end, I felt in my heart that going to Kentucky is the right thing for me to do,” she said. “I really like the family culture in the volleyball program there. I felt like family when I was on my visit. And it’s not a huge school.”
Sarafa made her college choice so early that she avoided having that decision weighing on her during her junior and senior seasons at Marian.
“The recruiting process was stressful, but it was an amazing experience that will prepare me for what’s ahead of me in life,” she said. “I’m grateful I got to do it.”
While Cook raves about Sarafa as a volleyball player, she’s also a huge fan of Sarafa the person. “I’ve known Ava since she was 11. I’ve never heard her bad mouth or put down anyone. She’s one of the kindest kids I’ve ever known, and always a pleasure to be around,” Cook said.
“She’s humble. She has a calm presence that’s perfect for a setter. She’s a great teammate who is always encouraging everyone. She’s motivated and focused when it comes to volleyball. She does everything she can to improve as a player. She’s a gym rat.”
Sarafa also is an academics rat. She has a 3.9 grade-point average at Marian.
“Academics are a huge part of my life. They’ll determine my future,” she said. “Being a student-athlete isn’t easy. You have to stay focused, and multi-task all the time.” Marian certainly stayed focused on the volleyball court this season.
After winning the Division 1 state championship last season without a senior on their roster, the Mustangs were the prohibitive favorite to win it all again this season. They had a huge target on their backs from Day 1. Every opponent gave Marian its best shot.
“We had to shut out the voices coming from outside our program and outwork everyone,” Sarafa said.
Sarafa helped quiet those voices by piling up some eye-popping statistics for the 53-1 Mustangs: She had 1,443 assists, 335 serving points with 62 aces, 252 digs and 83 blocks playing in 129 sets during the season.
No. 1-ranked Marian beat No. 3-ranked Ann Arbor Skyline 25-18, 22-25, 25-18, 25-19 on November 20 in the Division 1 state championship match at Kellogg Arena in Battle Creek. Sarafa had 44 assists and 12 digs in the match.
Sarafa attended Beverly Elementary School and Berkshire Middle School in the Birmingham School District before deciding to go to Marian, in part because of its outstanding volleyball program. She lives in Beverly Hills. Her parents are Maher Sarafa and Sarah Ervin-Sarafa. Scott Smith is her step-father. She has a brother and three step-siblings and is the youngest of the blended family kids.
“I can’t say enough about my family. They have been so supportive during my volleyball career,” Ava said.
Birmingham Marian volleyball star Ava Sarafa shows off her setting skills during Marian’s Division 1 state championship win over Ann Arbor Skyline in November in Battle Creek.