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Grace Turrell made Cicero-North Syracuse’s varsity squad as a sophomore. She had a good season — registering 47 kills and 13 blocks — but it wasn’t her full potential.

At the start of her junior year, something clicked. Previously, as a self-proclaimed perfectionist, she’d often worry about her performance. Turrell knew she just needed to enjoy the game.

“I had this whole mindset change and it was just like, ‘Grace you’re playing volleyball. Why are you so in your head?’” Turrell said.

The Northstars’ 6-foot-2 middle blocker racked up 114 kills and 43 blocks in her junior year and is already building on those numbers in her senior season. Through nine appearances in 2025, Turrell has recorded 105 kills and 13 blocks to push the Northstars to a 9-1 start, setting her up for a potential college commitment.

“She’s really a hitter you can trust. She’s literally always there,” CNS libero Paige Munger said. “I can trust that she’s going to get a touch on the block.”

Alicia Nash, who played for Liverpool High School volleyball and softball before graduating in 2019, returns to the area as CNS’ new volleyball head coach. She has noticed the biggest similarity to her own game is Turrell’s presence on the court.

“She is the energy. She is the leader on the court,” Nash said. “The intangible stat you can’t really see is the way she cheers her teammates on the side. She is able to make everyone on the team feel like she’s a part of every play even if they never touched the ball.”

Since changing her mindset as a junior, Turrell’s confidence has continued to grow. She prides herself on being an upbeat presence on the court, always radiating a positive attitude. Turrell’s father always reminds her she can’t always control her performance, but she can control her attitude and effort.

Turrell’s dedication led to her dominant junior year.

Northstars setter Kendall Rumble has shared the court with Turrell nearly every season since seventh grade. The two sit next to each other on the bus before almost every game. She credits Turrell as a major motivator to the team, always checking in to make sure her teammates are okay.

“She gets the whole team hyped, and we really help each other lock in and get in the right mindset for gameplay,” Rumble said.

However, Turrell’s positive demeanor doesn’t take away from her killer instinct on the court. Nash has noticed Turrell is constantly looking to make plays in the biggest moments, pointing to her performance in a 3-1 victory over Fayetteville-Manlius as an example. Her success has made the coach’s decisions easy.

“There are players and then there are playmakers, and I’ve said to her that if we can get her the ball, I wanna be able to feed it to her,” Nash said. “She wants the ball in that high-pressure moment, so I’ve told her that when the big game comes, I’m looking for her to shine.”

Turrell’s dominance in the clutch will be huge for CNS. While the Northstars saw steady improvement in 2024, they fell short of a sectional championship with a loss to Liverpool in the semifinal round.

After experiencing defeat, Turrell is ready to win now. Nash said the team has adopted the mantra of always bringing their best. And both Turrell and Nash believe that’s enough to push them over the edge.

“We can go all the way this year,” Nash said. “The girls know that mentality is there. When playoff season comes, I think everyone will be worried to see us across the net from them.”

“I want to go to sleep at night knowing that we did everything we could,” Turrell added.

Turrell will be key to the Northstars’ success this season. She’s already powered CNS to a near-undefeated start to the season, making it a favorite come postseason play.

Nash saw herself in Turrell. Now, she sees a similar path toward coaching in her future.

“Grace told me she’s going to come back and coach with me when she’s done,” Nash said.

Published on October 8, 2025 at 11:46 pm
Contact Alex: aeferenc@syr.edu