Laynie Smith, a two-sport star, has had a successful career in Chapel Hill, Raleigh, Orlando, and soon Champaign. Her achievements over the past week have elevated her career to new heights.

At Broughton High School last Saturday, the Chapel Hill senior’s name was announced over the loudspeakers in front of a packed crowd. They were recognized as a member of the All-Tournament team for the highly-regarded John Wall Holiday Invitational.

Instead of being present with the upcoming Power 5 college basketball players, Smith was in Florida getting ready to be the main event in the Under Armour UA Next Volleyball All-America game.

The player who has committed to playing volleyball at Illinois recently completed an impressive final season for the Tigers. According to MaxPreps, she had the third highest hitting percentage in the state at .499 and her 350+ kills contributed to Chapel Hill’s overall record of 22-3.

During the last few weeks of her time playing high school volleyball, she exceeded 1,000 kills in her career. The day after participating in the All-America game, she came back to her hometown of Raleigh and achieved over 1,000 points in her basketball career. She scored 28 points in the game and contributed to Chapel Hill’s 49-38 victory against Cardinal Gibbons.

After thinking about the last day, Smith remarked, “It’s been a really strange experience. It feels good to see that my efforts have been rewarded.”

Before the competition on Friday against Heritage, Smith had achieved a score of 20 or more points in 5 out of 12 games played in the current season. During her junior year, she averaged 22.7 points per game and had a total of 635 points scored. This included a notable performance with 42 points in a win against Western Alamance and 37 points in a victory against the eventual 2A east champion, Seaforth.

Her contagious passion is evident among her fellow teammates and coaches at Chapel Hill.

“Laynie is not only a phenomenal athlete, but also an exceptional individual. I am grateful to have her on our team. Despite playing in the Under Armour All-America game the previous day, she could have easily claimed exhaustion, yet she showed up and gave her all,” expressed John French, the head coach for the girls’ basketball team.

At 6’4″, Smith has also proven to be a strong rebounder. During her time at Chapel Hill, she has collected over 350 rebounds, averaging 9.2 per game. With her height, she was the tallest player on the Fighting Illini volleyball team and the second tallest on their women’s basketball team this season.

On Tuesday night at the University of Central Florida campus, Smith stood alongside two other top volleyball players from the Triangle area, Asia Thigpen from Green Level and Kiki Horne from Millbrook. They were all recognized as some of the best 26 players in the country.

The Ice team lost in five sets, however, Smith’s impact on the game from the right side was constant throughout the night.

The multi-talented @laynie_2024 continues to impress for Team 🧊 with her skills in both sports! #UANext

— AllAmericaVB (@uanextvball) January 2, 2024

However, despite the final point being scored in Orlando, Smith’s thoughts were still on her home. Within 24 hours, she returned to the court with her basketball team, showcasing her unique athleticism on a completely different court.

Smith stated that winning tonight was the ideal way to end the week. He also mentioned that when you’re enjoying yourself, it’s effortless to handle something like this.

Last week, HighSchoolOT pegged Smith as one of only five first team All-State members this year to have earned the honor twice in their career. In mid-December, she was named a finalist for the HighSchoolOT Honors Volleyball Offensive Player of the Year award.

What gift can you give to an athlete who already has everything?

“Clearly achieving victory in both the conference and state competitions.”

Do not blame 23 in black and gold for making room in her trophy case when the chance arises.

Additional information about Laynie Smith’s professional experience at Chapel Hill:

Source: highschoolot.com