Fort Payne volleyball player Cooper Garrett has been voted the ITG Next Alabama Female Athlete of the Month for November 2023. She received 59.20% of the possible votes over three additional finalists, also volleyball players: Sand Rock’s Katelyn St. Clair, Mobile Christian’s Melaina Haines, and McGill-Toolen’s Paris McQuirter.
Garrett, a junior, was a major impact player in Fort Payne’s 38-17 season, which concluded with an appearance in the first round of the Class 6A state playoffs. Across 126 total sets played, she posted a season stat line of 559 kills, 453 assists, 249 digs, 53 aces, and 40 blocks. Other notable numbers were a 38.5 Kill % and a 31.8 Hit %, and she recorded multiple games of double-digit kills and assists.
“Cooper is our rock, our glue,” Fort Payne head volleyball coach Justin Kisor said. “She is who people look at in good and bad times. She is a silent leader who leads by example.
“I thought her defensive confidence took a huge step,” Kisor added. “She would play anywhere I needed her to. I also thought that her will to get the job done and carry us to victory was huge this year.”
Garrett’s October performance landed her the Athlete of the Month honor. During that span, she posted a combined stat line of 212 kills, 136 assists, 104 digs, 20 aces, and 9 blocks. One of her best outings produced a season-high 35 kills and 19 assists in a 3-2 win over Oxford on October 18.
Garrett will use her outstanding season as a launching pad for her 2024 senior campaign, when she’s expected to be one of the top players in Class 6A. Indeed, Kisor expects big things ahead for Garrett and the Fort Payne volleyball program next season.
“Cooper has started for me since my first year at Fort Payne when she was an eighth grader,” Kisor said. “I want her to be the leader God made her to be. We have a good bit of returners coming back, so I think for her and them, it’s just keep grinding and improving. But definitely, with Cooper, just lead and keep everyone’s mindset on team, and the success will follow.”
Congratulations to Fort Payne volleyball standout Cooper Garrett, the ITG Next Alabama November 2023 Female Athlete of the Month.
