Miss Volleyball Spotlight: Slater’s ‘curse’ becomes a gift at Grand Haven

The daughter of two tall parents, Ashley Slater saw that as a curse early in her life. Always standing over her peers at an early age, Slater didn’t see the benefits of her genetics. “I have tall parents, so it was a given that I was going to be tall,” Slater said. “At first I really didn’t love it, because it is awkward being tall when you are young. At that time, you also aren’t really athletic either because you have long limbs and don’t know what to do with them.” As time passed, Slater started to understand how she could use her size to her advantage and now it has turned the 6’2” outside hitter into one of the best volleyball players in the state of Michigan. “Once I got to high school, I finally learned how to use my height and my length to my advantage and now it’s something I really embrace,” she said. Slater has been a four-year contributor to the Grand Haven varsity squad and earlier this season, she was named a finalist for the 2019 Miss Volleyball Award. “It’s really exciting,” Slater said of being a finalist. “This year’s finalists are all tremendous players, so it really means a lot to be considering among them.” Volleyball was a natural fit for Slater due to her height and it didn’t take her long to embrace the sport once she got a taste of it. “I really fell in love with the team aspect on the game,” Slater said. “There’s really nothing like it. Everyone on the floor has to really work together to win. Not one player can do it all.” Slater joined a senior-laden Grand Haven team in 2016 and was brought into a bigger role as the year went on. The Buccaneers would reach the regional finals before losing in five sets. Slater would finish with 61 kills and 26 blocks. “At that time, I don’t think she really grasped what she was doing. There was a real innocence about her play,” Grand Haven coach Aaron Smaka said. “She was just going out and playing the game she loved. I think that is why she was embraced by a senior-heavy team, because she just went out and played.” The numbers grew from there as Slater moved from being a middle to an outside hitter. As a sophomore, Slater finished with 386 kills, 64 blocks and 41 aces. Last season, Slater put up 460 kills, 79 blocks and an impressive 115 aces. “What impresses me about her is how coachable she is,” Smaka said. “She is like a sponge where she just absorbs so much information and is able to apply it quickly. That goes back to her days in middle school. Even now, as talented as she is, she never is one to think she’s got it all figured out. She’s always wanted to improve and be coached.” In all three seasons with the Bucs, Slater and Grand Haven have exited the postseason in the regional stage. Right now, the Bucs are ranked 11th in our Division 1 poll and they have their sights set on trying to break through and claim the regional title this year. “Certainly the team’s success factors into the (Miss Volleyball) winner and we are a team that continues to improve and has aspirations to do great things in the postseason. If we do well in November, Ashley is certain to be a big part of that,” Smaka said. “We were at a tournament recently where Ashley didn’t get the most sets and that is a good thing for our team and Ashley embraces that. She can’t do it all and we need to have help around her and we have been able to develop that help through the season. I think teams can’t just key in on Ashley as much anymore and that just helps everyone, including Ashley.” When all is said and done, Slater will be one of Grand Haven’s best in school history. She is on pace to finish second in school history in kills and will be first or second in school history in aces. Slater is already approaching 100 aces for the year and has over 415 kills in 2019. She also has developed her passing a great deal in the last 12 months to make her a more complete player. “Over the last year I have really put a lot of focus into my passing through serve receive and defense,” Slater said. “I was a middle early in my career, so switching to outside made me have to really learn the basics of passing and defense. Now I am trying to really elevate those skills to make me a better all-around player.” After this fall, Slater will become a Demon Deacon and join the Wake Forest volleyball team to compete in the ACC. “I just loved everything about it,” Slater said of Wake Forest. “The campus is just gorgeous. It’s everything I wanted in a campus. The athletics and academics are also among the best in the country. I want to get a good education and I wanted to go to a competitive school where I felt at home with the coaches. Wake Forest just had all of that in one package.” Smaka believes he’s got everything in one package with his senior and that is why he feels she would make a great Miss Volleyball winner. “She’s just a great kid and really represents everything you want the Miss Volleyball winner to be,” Smaka said. “Not only is she a great volleyball player and a teammate, but she’s an outstanding student and tremendous member of the community. She’s a role model that all kids could aspire to be.”