SWANNANOA — Asheville Christian Academy volleyball traded the lead back and forth with Asheville High during the second set on Aug. 19. The Lions held a one-set lead over the Cougars.
Asheville Christian Academy middle hitter Olivia Johnson then remembered a saying her club coach told her.
"When you're on the court, just think that you're the best one out there," Johnson said. "Every time I step onto the court, I tell myself I'm the best middle on this court, and I'm the best player on this court."
She dominated the rest of the second and third sets, helping the Lions earn the sweep over Asheville High while pouring in 15 kills.
Asheville Christian Academy football coach George Johnson, Olivia's father, remembers Olivia telling him in the car that
her competitive fire took over.
"I didn't want to lose that game, so I had to go to a different level," George recalled.
Olivia has taken another step for the Lions this season. The Michigan State commit is averaging over three kills per set, hitting .392 and recording 20 blocks. She has also emerged as a leader for the Lions, becoming someone teammates and students around the school can look to as she's grown more comfortable being herself.
George remembers a quieter Olivia, one who needed encouragement from her parents to be strong and aggressive on the court.
He compared her transformation during games to putting on a mask.
“When you step off, you become the person that you always are,” George said.
George believes Olivia learned that from him. George played as a defensive lineman at Rutgers and spent nine seasons in the NFL from 2010 to 2018 for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Minnesota Vikings, Detroit Lions and New Orleans Saints.
"She would always remember how I played," George said. "She would see the aggressive Dad who runs and tackles people and gets up screaming. When I'm at home, she just sees the loving Dad."
Senior outside hitter Reece Shuman said Olivia didn't talk much on the court when she first started playing for the Lions as a freshman.
"She still had that competitive spirit about her and that fun spirit," Shuman said. "But she was more of a silent weapon. But now she's more of a leader."
Olivia sees it a little differently now.
She said she used to feel like she had different personalities on and off the court. But that changed as she grew more comfortable playing volleyball after spending time in an individual sport such as track and field.
"I wasn't used to pouring into other people and being a leader," Olivia said. "Volleyball has taught me to be so much more open about myself."
George said Olivia started playing volleyball at 11. At 12, one of her coaches asked her to play up with 14-year-olds. Last year was the first time she played with girls her own age.
Olivia said playing with older teammates showed her what true leadership looked like.
“They really fought with each other and for each other,” she said. “That made me want to pour into people younger than me to do that as well.”
The growth has shown itself in moments when Olivia isn't even on the court.
Shuman saw that transformation during a tournament in the first week of the season when a match went to a deciding third set.
Olivia had come off the court after her serving rotations when she turned to her teammates.
"Now that I'm off, you are not going to let this ball drop; we are going to finish this," Shuman recalled Olivia saying.
Olivia encouraged her teammates, pushed them to take responsibility and reminded them she had their backs.
Then she returned to the court and did the same.
She blocked balls. She found open spots with her attacks. She covered her teammates.
"Every time I go up to hit, she's like, 'I'm right there, I'm right there, I got you,'" Shuman said. "Just assuring me that I can go up and swing, but she'll cover me if I get blocked."
For Olivia, that's what leadership looks like now: making sure the people around her know she's got them.
Zachary Huber is a high school sports reporter for the Hendersonville Times-News. Email him at zhuber@gannett.com or follow him on X @zacharyahuber.
This article originally appeared on Asheville Citizen Times: How volleyball, NFL father helped Asheville Christian's Olivia Johnson blossom on the court
