Familiar bond fuels friendship

SARASOTA — Grace Dickinson was 12 years old and ready to move on and further explore her potential. But first, she needed to convince her two best friends and club volleyball teammates, Lauren Johnson and Abi Johnson, to follow suit. 

It didn’t take long for the three players to come to an agreement. 

After discussing the pros and cons of the clubs in the area, the trio decided to leave the Suncoast Volleyball Club after two years and join Coastline Volleyball Club. 

“Knowing they were coming with me made me feel a lot better,” said Dickinson, now 14. “I feel really comfortable on the court with them, and we’re always able to pick each other up when we’re down.” 

The three began honing their skills together when they were 11. Since then, Dickson, Lauren Johnson and Abi Johnson have become a unified contingent on the court. 

Each has her own specific role: Lauren Johnson is a libero. Dickinson is a setter, and Abi Johnson is a left outside hitter. But it’s when the three combine their talents that the girls are at their best. 

And on those occasions when one of the girls isn’t playing up to their potential, the other two girls will be right there by her side encouraging her to look past her mistakes. 

“They make me go to my highest potential,” Abi Johnson said. “They make me feel more comfortable on the court; and if I make a mistake, I know they are there to pick me up.” 

“They motivate me in whatever I’m doing and they’re always supportive,” Lauren Johnson added.

Over the years, the three Cardinal Mooney freshmen have become more than teammates. They’ve become best friends and have developed a bond characterized by their passion for volleyball and desire to get better every day. 

After spending two years together at Coastline, the three girls once again made the decision to change clubs, joining Priority One Volleyball, which practices out of Riverview High, this winter, after spending the fall playing together on Cardinal Mooney’s JV volleyball team. 

The girls have taken every transition with ease. There’s a comfort that comes from knowing you are playing alongside your best friend. The girls are each others’ biggest cheerleaders and also the ones they turn to when they need someone to support them and push them to the next level. 

“They are all hardworking and love to play volleyball,” Dickinson’s mom, Sally Dickinson, said of the three girls. “It’s also created a support system for the moms because we’re with each other the same amount of time.” 

In their first season with Priority One Volleyball and their fifth club season together as teammates, Dickinson, Lauren Johnson and Abi Johnson already are making the most of their time together. 

In their first two tournaments, the girls helped lead the Priority One 15-1 team to second- and third-place finishes at the MLK Tournament Jan. 22 and Jan. 23 and the OSC Classic Jan. 30 and Jan. 31, respectively. 

While the girls have all changed physically over the years, they maintain a similar skill level, which is a testament to their work ethic.

They practice twice a week with their Priority One Volleyball 15-1 teammates. In addition, the girls attend private lessons together and also train together off the court either at the gym or through CrossFit classes. 

“They’re a lot of fun to be around,” Priority One Volleyball coach Craig Wolfe said. “They enjoy playing the game and being around each other. It’s very exciting to watch. It’s rare to have players, over this length of time, be able to continually apply that bond.” 

The three girls share a competitive spirit that pushes them to work hard and play even harder. They enjoy playing volleyball, but more than anything else, they enjoying being together. 

On those rare occasions when Dickinson, Lauren Johnson and Abi Johnson aren’t playing volleyball, the three remain inseparable. The three have several classes together, sleep over at each other’s houses and go out to eat as often as possible. (DaRuMa Japanese Steakhouse is a favorite.) 

Volleyball is what brought them together, but it’s their friendship off the court that keeps them together. 

“We’re literally together every single day,” Abi Johnson said.

Contact Jen Blanco at [email protected].