Adrian Bascope is an ASU Cronkite School of Journalism student assigned to cover Sequoia Charter for AZPreps365.com.

As seniors in high school we all have had interesting stories to tell that differentiate us from everyone else. Sequoia Charter's Faith Grissom is one of those seniors who has an interesting story to tell. She is part of the varsity volleyball team and has a love for the game that has been prevalent most of her life.

Grissom's love for volleyball began in sixth grade at age 11. “I fell in love with it,'' she said. "I love how intense the sport gets and it's so much fun. It makes me happy.”

Grissom grew up in Temecula, Calif., and lived there until the middle of her sophomore year. Her family of eight then picked up everything and moved to Phoenix.

Grissom would be leaving friends, her home and everything she had come to know, but her first thought was that she was going to miss whatever games were left in her school’s volleyball schedule. Many kids would be upset with their parents about moving in the middle of a school year, but Grissom understood her parents' decision and decided that she would make the best of the situation.

“The team structure was a little different but that’s why she became more of a leader,” said Grissom's mother, Chrystal Floco.

Grissom was coming from a successful volleyball program and had to adapt to an Arizona program that had struggled recently. When she first arrived at the new school, she befriended most of the girls who were on the volleyball team despite the season being underway. Grissom was ready to put her all into the sport and it showed.

As a junior the next year, Grissom got her chance to play volleyball for Sequoia Charter. She had played for clubs outside of school to to improve her skill set and was more than ready once school started. Unfortunately for Grissom, she suffered an ankle sprain that kept her on crutches and out for most of the season. Grissom's injury might discourage other student athletes but she understood that injuries happen and that this was only a temporary setback.

As a senior, Grissom was 100 percent healthy and ready for the Stallions season.

“She’s verbally communicating with her players on every point and emphasizing, 'Let’s win the point,'” stepfather Robb Floco said.  

Grissom's play so far has been stellar to the point she has opposing teams’ parents approaching her after the game and complimenting her play.

While Grissom is happy to play the sport she loves, she also must decide on where she will attend college. She applied at Arizona State with intentions to major in business entrepreneurship because she loves baking and making others feel happy with her baking.

Grissom enjoys baking so much that she is a manager at the Den in American Indian College in Phoenix. That being said, she would still like to pursue volleyball professionally after high school and play with people who are as committed to the game as she is.

“Volleyball is a part of me, volleyball comes with me,'' Grissom said. "I would just love to be around people and coaches that live breathe and eat volleyball.”