Under Armour All-American Profile: Jess Mruzik
Under Armour All-American Profile: Jess Mruzik
Jess Mruzik is a state, national, and world champion, and she did it all before graduating high school.
Jess Mruzik is a state, national, and world champion, and she did it all before graduating high school.
The Jess Mruzik File
Position: Outside Hitter
Height: 6-1
Hometown: Farmington Hill, Michigan
High School: Farmington Hills Mercy High School
Club: Legacy
College Commitment: Michigan
Competing with Legacy Volleyball Club in 2019, the outside hitter led her team to eight tournament titles, including an AAU national championship in the 18 Open division, and VolleyballMag.com named her the club player of the year. All even more impressive considering Mruzik was still only a high school junior at the time, playing up a division.
Mruzik also earned a spot on the U.S. youth national team that won a gold medal at the U18 World Championship in Egypt in September, and she earned the title of MVP, ranking first on Team USA with 97 points.
“Winning a World Championship is one of the best moments of my volleyball career,” Mruzik said. “Playing with Team USA alongside of all my amazing teammates overseas was such an incredible experience. It’s hard to put into words how grateful I am for that whole experience. Winning a national championship with my club team is a very close second.”
In a storybook ending to a decorated high school career, Mruzik led Farmington Hills Mercy to an MHSAA Division I state title in November after losing in the semifinals the last two seasons. In the state championship match, Mruzik collected 38 kills, good for third-most in MHSAA finals history during the rally-scoring era. The team capped the year with a 58-1 record, while Mruzik had 233 kills, hitting .578.
Farmington Hills Mercy & longtime coach Loretta Vogel capture first volleyball state title by defeating Lowell 3-1 in @MHSAA D1 finals. Miss Volleyball winner @voll_jess gets the winning kill before heading off to @umichvball. @mercy_vball @MHSmiAthletics @Lowellredarrows pic.twitter.com/lAclFaZDrc
— Patrick Nothaft (@Patrick_Nothaft) November 23, 2019
On signing day, as she was making her commitment to the University of Michigan official, Mruzik was surprised with the state’s Miss Volleyball award. She’s also a First Team Under Armour High School All-American.
Mruzik graduates this month will arrive on campus in Ann Arbor in January, giving her plenty of time to acclimate to college life and be ready to contribute right away come fall 2020.
“(Jess is) a six-rotation outside hitter who can hit out of the back row, hit front row, defend, has an awesome serve, and even set some when she was younger. She can literally do it all,” Michigan head coach Mark Rosen said. “The intangibles are there for her too: she's incredibly competitive, wants to play at the highest level, and has been involved in the USA program for quite some time.”