Vikings’ McGregor growing into all-around player

Hannah McGregor went from fearful to fearless in a matter of weeks.

The 16-year-old confessed that she was timid about playing a bigger role for the reigning provincial champion, the Vincent Massey Vikings, at the beginning of the season.

With the program’s star outside hitter, Jersey Hansen-Young, graduated and off to play for the University of Manitoba Bisons, McGregor — who was already important to the Vikings’ success in Grade 10 — would command the spotlight as the go-to hitter on a team with major expectations.

“At the start of the season, I was scared because I did have moments where I wasn’t at my best, and I felt like that never really happened with Jersey,” McGregor said Friday.

“I felt like she was a really good player all the time, but sometimes I do tend to go down, but I found that throughout the season I kind of took more accountability and stuff, and did my role, and I trusted in myself throughout the season and grew with that.”

In other words, McGregor dug out those bad thoughts and spiked them to a place where they could do her no harm. She’s gone on to have an outstanding season for the Vikings, who boast a 42-2-3 record and are ranked second in the province.

The 6-1 left side will continue to play a lead role as the Vikings attempt to capture a second straight provincial AAAA varsity championship this month. For that reason, and many more, McGregor was named the top varsity girls’ player in the province by a panel of coaches.

McGregor noted that last month was a turning point in her season, following a lopsided defeat against Mennonite Brethren in the semifinal of the Girls St. Vital Invitational.

She had a down match by her standards and knew she needed to hit the figurative reset button in her mind, which meant changing the way she prepares mentally, always encouraging positive self-talk and keeping her chin up, even when the difficult moments inevitably strike on the court.

“A different mindset. I’ve always had, not a negative mindset, but it hasn’t been like the best,” she said. “So I decided to change it for the better.”

It’s served her well, as McGregor has felt like a different player in recent weeks. She’s more prepared than ever to lead her team into the most important stretch of the year.

“I thought about it a lot. At the start, I was nervous to have all that pressure and having to be the go-to hitter, but it’s really now settled in and I’m not really scared of making mistakes or doing anything (wrong), because I know in my return, it will be okay,” she said.

Third-year head coach Kelly DeRoo has watched McGregor’s evolution up close. While the young player showed promising flashes last year, she’s sharpened her offensive tools and become a more dependable player defensively this season.

“Just physically — she’s very tall, she contacts the ball very high, she really works on her fitness, she’s very physically fit, and she’s very fast for her height,” said DeRoo. “I definitely notice that on defence — she can move and cover a lot of court, get to the ball quickly. And she’s just a very dynamic hitter. She has a lot of different shots in her repertoire — she’s able to make smart plays with tips and rolls, in addition to her hard swings.”

Perhaps McGregor’s greatest trait, though, is her knack for elevating her play in the biggest moments. For a player who lacked confidence a short time ago, the Westman teen sure knows how to turn it on when it matters most.

“She has that ability to turn it up a notch when things are a little tight and she sees that, ‘hey, we’ve got to play a little bit better here.’ Her ability to do that kind of inspires the rest of the team, as well,” DeRoo said. “You never really see her nervous in a game; she’s always kind of calm, and she kind of thrives on that tight match. She loves it, I think.”

McGregor credited Hansen-Young for being a role model on and off the court. The graduated hitter was a steady presence for the Vikings when the boat began to rock during matches, and proved to be a player whom teammates could turn to in the locker room.

McGregor took it upon herself to fill that role this season.

“I think the motivation was how inspirational she can be. She’s such a leader on the court, and I kind of aspired to be that,” McGregor said. “I’ve been working on it this year. Being able to play with the No. 1 player last year, it gave me motivation to be better on myself this year, because she’s not here.”

McGregor has had preliminary interest from university programs, but remains uncommitted.

She was told on Thursday that she had been voted as the top player in the province, but said she hadn’t given it any thought since.

McGregor, fearlessly, said she’s more focused on leading her team to another provincial championship.

 

 

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