Grace Daniels is used to running high-profile offenses. The senior setter for Notre Dame-Cathedral Latin won a state championship in her first year with the Lions with future Division I college players in Caroline Jurevicius, Emma Blankenship and Lauren Janosy.
Four years later, she will be able to join them among those ranks, as she announced her commitment to Iona.
“Honestly, Iona just felt right,” Daniels said. “When I talked with the coaches, I felt like they really believed in me and what I could bring to the team. The energy of the program stood out to me a lot. Everyone is very competitive and everyone’s super supportive of each other. I knew it was a place where I could grow and also make an impact.”
The Gales are currently 4-2 on the season, as one of two schools in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference with winning records, joining Fairfield.
Iona last made the NCAA tournament in 2018, the second time in school history. Lake Catholic coach Tess Connolly was a part of that team and had the championship-clinching kill.
She is the second coverage area player to commit to the MAAC, joining South’s Maisie Nawrocki, who committed to Rider.
Daniels made her impact early in her time with NDCL, cracking the team’s 6-2 rotation as a freshman. The early faith in her from the coaching staff to help handle high-pressure situations through their rigorous schedule.
She is now passing those lessons on to the new wave of underclassmen in Frankie Brkic, Leah Bender and Audra Smith.
“At NDCL, the coaches really gave me the foundation I needed as a setter to be confident running an offense,” Daniels said. “I learned how to take on a leadership role and make quick decisions, which really pushed me to grow on and off the court. I got used to making quick decisions and adjusting to different hitters, and that definitely has prepared me for what’s ahead. Playing at NDCL taught me how to stay calm when things got tough, and I think that’s going to help a lot at the college level.”
Playing with the older hitters around her helped Daniels find comfort at a high level quickly. Over her time in the program, Daniels has racked up over 1,000 assists and gone from the unproven freshman to the senior leader of the program.
That’s also helped her adjust to the always-rigorous NDCL schedule and not to pay attention to the record at the end of the season. Every year Daniels has been on the team, the Lions have made it to regional finals at worst.
This season, NDCL is currently 3-3 with matches against Magnificat, Lake Catholic, Padua and Elyria Catholic still on the schedule.
“Playing with older, experienced hitters pushed me a lot,” Daniels said. “They expected me to be sharp with my sets and communicate clearly, so it forced me to step up my game. I also picked up a lot from just watching how they played and handled big moments. Being around them definitely made me better and showed me what it takes to play at a higher level.”