Morgan Cormier Leads Dons to State Title

By Brad Hollingsworth

Cathedral Catholic’s Morgan Cormier was caught in the middle this volleyball season and there isn’t a place where she would rather have been.

The senior middle blocker was at the center of everything for the Dons and the result was a state Division III championship and a sixth straight CIF-San Diego section title. However, Cormier remains humble when trying put her finger on why Cathedral was so triumphant.

“The main reason for my success this year definitely was because of my team,” said Cormier, who accepted a scholarship to North Carolina State. “We all worked so hard and we had a very strong connection because a lot of us were returning from the year before. It was a very easy team to lead because we were all focused on achieving our goals.”

Cormier and her teammates needed that razor-sharp focus concentration against Albany in the state finals. Down 2-1 in sets, the Dons staged a furious comeback and were able to avenge a state finals loss a year ago with a 25-15, 23-25, 21-25, 31-29, 16-14 victory. Cormier, who commanded all the defensive attention from Albany, had nine kills and four blocks to earn all-tournament honors.

“My coach Kelly Drobeck helped me the most this season because she gave me confidence by putting me through all six rotations which is extremely rare for my position at middle blocker,” Cormier said. “This was so important because she gave me the confidence to become the leader and captain my team needed me to be this year.”

Cormier was at her dominating best in the section finals against league rival La Jolla. In the 25-14, 25-17, 25-27, 25-16 victory, the 6-footer piled up 20 kills and 18 blocks for Cathedral, which won its 13^th county title in the last 14 years.

As Cormier departs for college, she has some advice for those underclassmen that may want to fill her sizeable footprints.

“I have always told myself to be the best teammate I can be, whether than means I’m on the bench or on the court,” she said. “Always think about the team’s success before your own.”

Photo by Bill Reilly