Kinght time — Lone Peak's Laycock, 3 teammates headline all-valley honorees

Dig. Set. Spike. Serve.

The players on this year's all-valley volleyball team can do it all, no matter which position they play. And in the end, one player stood above all the others, mostly because of her incredible court sense, serving and setting ability, and the leadership qualities she possesses.

MVP

LACEY LAYCOCK, senior, setter, Lone Peak: After a great deal of thought, consternation and discussion, Lone Peak setter Laycock was named Utah Valley's volleyball MVP for 2007.

The former ballet dancer was the quarterback on the court for the 5A state champion Lone Peak Knights as the team completed an undefeated season against all Utah competition with a four-game defeat of Skyline in the trophy match.

But she didn't just QB the toughest and deepest hitting lineup in the state, she also kicked things up a notch with a sometimes untouchable serve. Laycock broke the state's single match service ace record in a three-game match against American Fork during the regular season with 13 killer aces, including seven in a row to start things off.

"When I was learning I would jump serve and serve hard every ball. It didn't matter whether it was in or not," said Laycock about her serve, which her coach Deanna Meyer notes is hard hit and drops fast.

She also hit 600 serves a night during her freshman and sophomore seasons, noting that all the extra effort was "all worth it."

"I kind of like to run things. I think about where I want the hitters to hit," said the setter, who has the ability to put up sets anywhere to anyone on the team. And she had plenty of people to set to during her years at Lone Peak.

"It's truly amazing we had so many great players," she added, noting that she didn't feel any extra pressure to get every player on the incredibly deep team involved. She just set the ball where she saw the hole in the defense, and her team respected her for that.

But though she garnered MVP honors, Laycock wasn't the only player on that tough Lone Peak squad that landed on the all-valley team. Three teammates joined her.

First team

LACEY CRAMER, senior, outside hitter, Lone Peak: This track and cross country star also found a home on the volleyball courts with an incredible jumping ability and the skills and confidence to be able to hit hard, hit consistently and hit from anywhere on the court.