Piper Coy has always been driven to lead and make a difference in her community and school. It seemed only natural that in the same year Piper was introduced to volleyball was the same year she became Vice President of her 5th grade class. As she embarks on her senior year as Class Vice President, she’s proud to be someone who constantly wants to receive and apply her peers’ feedback in order to positively influence her High School campus.

“As a returning varsity player, I make it a priority to mentor younger teammates and make sure that they feel supported. Volleyball allows me to be a mentor with my work ethic and energy. I try to spread positivity and lift others up to allow my teammates the chance to grow as players and people,” said Piper.

Toward the end of COVID-19 pandemic, after playing a couple seasons of recreational volleyball, Piper joined her first club team at 13U. She fell in love with the energy and loudness.

“I was tall for my age and athletic, and the team environment of volleyball really appealed to me. Immediately, I had a drive to improve and knew that volleyball was something that I would want to spend more time doing,” shared Piper.

Piper is second from the left

Piper loves bringing people together through her leadership, and she tries to lead with collaboration. When she’s not playing volleyball or organizing events at her school, she supports a variety of non-profits in the community through her participation in the National Charity League. Piper volunteers for organizations in so many different ways, whether it’s making lunches for those in need, volunteering at Aegis Senior Living, or putting together backpacks for schools. She is the Class Secretary of the National Charity League Lamorinda Chapter, a mother-daughter volunteer organization focused on community service. Piper was recognized by her school for selflessness and community involvement and received the Acalanes High School Volunteer Award.

“It is really cool how I can make an impact in so many spaces. The Acalanes Volunteer Award to me is less about how many hours I volunteered, and more about how rewarding it is to be able to be a part of something greater than yourself and make a difference in the community,” added Piper.

Piper enjoys volunteering with her mom, as there are many mother-daughter opportunities where they can spend quality time together.

“The volunteer opportunity that has meant the most to me has been volunteering at the Swell Center at the Lafayette Library. It has allowed me to build relationships with so many kids. I not only get to see them explore their passions and bond with others through different activities, but I also get to see them grow as people and develop new skills, which is really inspiring,” shared Piper.

Family is very important to Piper, and every day she carries her Peruvian heritage with pride. She received the National Hispanic Recognition Award from the College Board, which was an honor that made her feel proud of her cultural identity.

“One of the biggest role models in my life is my mom, Fabiola. She has worked as an ER nurse at John Muir Hospital for 18 years. Her commitment to both our family and her career is super inspiring and has inspired me to want to become a nurse as well. She supports me and my siblings one hundred percent through everything we do and encourages us to find our true passions. I can lean on her for anything that I need, and I feel so grateful that I have such a strong woman to look up to and aspire to be in my life.”

Like any busy teenager balancing academics, athletics and extracurriculars, Piper faces challenges, and needs a mental reset. When this happens she usually turns to doing some type of movement such as walking her dogs and listening to music, getting some volleyball reps in, or riding her bike. She also tap dances, and most recently started line dancing.

“I also lean heavily on the close people in my life. I am grateful that I have people that I can vent to, and I love spending time with people who will help me reset,” expressed Piper.

Piper Coy was awarded the 2025 JVA Athleader Award after being nominated by NorCal Volleyball Club (Livermore, CA), a member of the Junior Volleyball Association, a non-profit organization with over 1,600 junior volleyball clubs dedicated to enhancing the junior volleyball experience for players, coaches, clubs and fans.

To learn more about the JVA Athleader Award click HERE. For related reading for junior volleyball athletes, click HERE.