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Ava Gray and Laurel Cernohous have played a lot of volleyball together over the years.

They shared a special moment connected to the sport last week before departing for different colleges, as Cernohous signed her letter of intent to play for Pima Community College and Gray penned her commitment to the University of Hawaii at Hilo.

The two Coconino Panthers committed during a signing ceremony at their high school on Tuesday, April 29, just days after the close of their beach season.

They both will play indoor volleyball for their respective selections.Ìý

Ava Gray

Gray has connections to the 50th state, and those ties played "a huge role" in her decision.Ìý

“I have some family out there," she said. "My grandpa is Hawaiian, so all his siblings still live out there and a bunch of my aunts and uncles and cousins. So we have a ton of family out there."

Her decision might have been made when she visited Hawaii in 2022 to meet family and learn about the culture and other aspects of the area.Ìý

“I immediately just fell in love," Gray said, "and there really is no place like Hilo. Just how close everyone is, and the community there is just one of a kind.�

She also said she enjoys how big of a sport volleyball is for Hawaii.Ìý

She said she'll continue to play as a libero at the next level and is hoping to work hard for more scholarship opportunities.

Working through challenges is not new to Gray, who played on Coconino's varsity team starting her sophomore year. The team suffered losing seasons the first two years she was on the team. By her senior season, however, the program started to right the ship, finishing with a 9-8 overall record.Ìý

“Although it sucks, it makes everyone stronger. You just have to go through that stuff to come back up,â€� Gray said.Ìý

Gray earned a spot on the Grand Canyon Region's honorable mention list her senior and junior seasons. She was one of the team's leaders behind the service line and in the passing game during her varsity career.Ìý

She said she cherished being able to share the signing ceremony with her friend and teammate. She said Cernohous decided "a little last minute" while she herself was trying to plan a date for her signing with Hawaii. When Cernohous committed, Gray asked her to share the ceremony.

“We played for all the same clubs and all the same teams, so it would make it easier on all the coaches and all of our friends and families, teammates, so we decided to do this thing together," Gray said.Ìý

Laurel Cernohous

Cernohous, indeed, waited on making her decision.Ìý

After toying with the idea of going to Northern Arizona University and possibly playing with the club volleyball team there, she decided she wanted a change of scenery. So she reconnected with Pima's coaching staff and asked if the program was still interested in having her.

“It was really last minute," she said. "The coach reached out to me a while back."

She added: “So I reached back out to the coach, and I was like, ‘If you guys still have any positions open, I would be more than happy to play for you.�"

And the Aztecs were happy to have her. Cernohaus said her classes are fully paid for through her scholarships.Ìý

To prepare for the next level and seek a higher gear of play, Cernohous will be working out this season with some of her former club coaches, including Mike Lapsley, a former Coconino Panthers football head coach and Gray's stepfather.

She'll also soon get a chance to meet her future teammates.Ìý

“I’m also going to be at summer workouts at Pima, so I’ll probably be down there a lot working out with them," she said.Ìý

The outside hitter played all four years of indoor varsity with the Panthers. She led the Panthers in total kills, aces and digs her senior year, and made it onto the second team for all-region after making the first team her junior year.

“I am just really grateful for it and super excited," Cernohous said about signing with Pima.