Miss Volleyball Spotlight: Elizabeth Norris created her own legacy at Corunna

The Norris name has been closely associated with the Miss Volleyball Award. In 2016, Corunna outside hitter Meredith Norris won the honor before going off to play at Michigan State. Now, her sister Elizabeth finds herself as one of the 10 finalists for the 2019 honor. “It was incredible to see her win it,” Elizabeth Norris said of her sister. “The school surprised her with the trophy and I could see it meant a lot to her. It was cool to be able to see her accomplish something like that and think in my own that perhaps I could get close to that.” Elizabeth didn’t have the luxury of size like her sister. Meredith was a 6’3” power hitter that holds the MHSAA record for kills in a match (56) and is second in MHSAA history for kills in a career (3,126). Elizabeth stands 5’11” and was guided into playing setter at a young age. That is the position she plays in club volleyball and will play next fall at North Dakota. However, Elizabeth has shown her ability to be a power hitter while at Corunna as well. With a veteran setter in Lexi Mort already locked into the position with the Cavs, Corunna coach Kari Carnell opted to move Elizabeth to the outside to give the team the strongest lineup possible. “We just knew with the makeup of our team that Elizabeth would help us the most as a hitter. We knew we needed to find ways to get her the ball and that turned into her becoming a power hitter for us,” Carnell said. “We needed her defensive skills along with her hitting, so it just made sense to have her play the outside where she could also help us in the back row and attack from the back row. It was an easy fit.” Carnell was proven right about her instincts, as Norris flourished as a hitter for the Cavs. In her sophomore season, Norris would rack up 609 kills. As a junior, Norris put down a state-high 879 kills. “When I started playing, I never envisioned myself being a hitter for anyone,” Norris said. “I was always the shortest kid on the team and was made into a setter right away. I never really got much chance to hit in club. When I was told I was going to move to the outside, it was scary. I just didn’t think of myself as someone that could be a threat as a hitter.” The Cavs called her number often in 2018, as she took over 2,100 swings. “It didn’t feel like over 2,000 swings. I never found myself feeling fatigued or dealing with shoulder pain or anything like that,” Norris said. “I just knew it was what my team needed me to do, so I was prepared to take as many swings as was asked of me. It just felt natural.” Norris’ 879 kills in 2018 ranks 13th on the MHSAA record book for kills in a season and is the new school record at Corunna, surpassing Meredith’s previous record of 839. Along with the new record, Norris led Corunna to its first state semifinal appearance in program history. “It was an amazing experience,” Norris said of leading her team to Battle Creek. “I don’t think anyone saw us as a threat to be able to do that coming into the year. It was a real team effort and something I know that nobody will forget.” This season, Norris was able to transition back into some setting, as the Cavs used two setters throughout the year. “Elizabeth has such a wide set of skills and that is what makes her such a great player,” Carnell said. “We asked her to do a lot of different things at Corunna and play a lot different positions based on need and she has gracefully done all of those things. She really cares about the team and wants it to be successful. I think that’s one of her best traits is her selflessness and desire to see everyone else around her do well.” Norris amassed 564 assists and 402 kills this season for Corunna. Over her four-year varsity career, Norris finished with 2,019 kills, 1374 digs, 898 assists, 289 blocks and 220 aces. “It’s enjoyable to be able to play both roles,” Norris said. “Being able to set is what feels natural for me through my years of playing volleyball, but it is still fun to take some swings as well and be able to impact the game that way as well.” Elizabeth is just one of 18 players in MHSAA history to put up over 2,000 kills in her career, joining Meredith with that honor. “She knows what it looks like to be Miss Volleyball,” Carnell said of Elizabeth. “She knows the skill level, the work ethic and the character it takes to earn that title. She has all of those qualities that Meredith had and I think it’s great to see a pair of siblings make it as finalists. It says a lot about their family and the community.” While Corunna saw its 2019 season come to an end this week in a five-set loss to Mt. Morris during district play, Elizabeth Norris was able to leave a lasting legacy of her own with the Cavaliers program. “You just won’t find many kids like her,” Carnell said of Elizabeth. “She really does everything you want out of a student-athlete. She’s incredibly skilled on the court, incredibly intelligent in the classroom, and she’s incredibly kind and loyal to her teammates. She’s got the work ethic and character you hope all of your athletes strive for.”