Jaden Taylor is an ASU Cronkite School of Journalism Student assigned to cover Highland High School for AZPreps365.com

Highland volleyball senior Zoe John has quickly etched her name into the list of top outside hitters across Arizona.

Leading 6A with 4.5 kills-per-set and ranking in the top 10 with 46 aces, the University of Pacific commit has helped the Hawks become a top-10 ranked team in the state.

Through club seasons at AZ Storm and endless hours of practice, her progress as an athlete and hitter has grown immensely since her freshman year. But for John, the largest impact in her game has nothing to do with her physical attributes.

“My biggest growth within the game has definitely been my mental side,” John said.

In the early years of her high school career, high expectations pushed John to develop as an athlete but at times weren’t funneled in the best ways to get desired outcomes.

“I've always been super competitive and super hard on myself when I play because I always just had really high expectations,” John said. “I always had the expectation of like ‘I have to be perfect every single game’ and I would get really caught up in my own head during games if I made a mistake.”

Through work during her club season and connecting to a strong culture built at Highland, John has become one of the more outgoing and enthusiastic players on her team. Even in the tightest of matches, John’s joy and compassion for the game has shined through.

“The biggest thing that helps me is talking through it or smiling or going in high fiving my teammates and just making a joke,” John said. “Just not taking it so seriously because I've noticed that when I play really loose and I have fun with it, then I don't get in my head, and I don't get isolated.”

For Highland head coach Tait Neilson, the ability to have a vocal and confident senior leader has drastically helped teach the younger core of his team.

“It's everything, like having a senior that's been there and done that and having that voice of wisdom is huge,” John said. “There's a reason why she's one of our captains. She's not only one of our fiscal leaders on the court but she's the voice that girls listen to.”

This growth and maturity as a player and a teammate have affected the Hawks from top down and pushed the group to back each other.

“There’s never once that I might doubt that she’ll be there to support me,” said Alyx Daugherty, a senior libero. “She’s been really supportive. She builds you up and if you’re struggling, you will always count on Zoe to be there for you.”

Along with everything else that is involved in being a high school student-athlete, the college recruiting process is one that has a lot of hills and valleys. After a lengthy recruiting process that began in her early club years, John made her college decision just two days before the start of club nationals.

“It was probably the most stress-relieving thing I've ever done,” John said. “And even my club coaches, they could tell I just played like this whole thing was just lifted off my shoulders. Like I played free. I played like I was having fun.”

That loose attitude and freeing style has carried over into her senior season with Highland.

Playing in arguably the toughest region of 6A, Highland had to play eight of its final 11 remaining matches against top-15 opponents. For John, the mental fortitude built up this past year has prepared her for these moments.

“The biggest thing is like going into every game as a new game,” John said. “And you can be playing like let's say the easiest game in the region or the hardest game and you treat them the same and being coachable during games.”