SALT LAKE CITY — The task is irrelevant to Jaiden Farr.
It doesn’t matter if it’s reaching out to someone in need, excelling in the classroom or leading her volleyball team to a 3A state title, she only has one gear, one mindset, one way of engaging with the world.
“Whatever she does, she does the very best she can,” Morgan head volleyball coach Liz Wiscombe said of the senior outside hitter who was named the Deseret News' 2015 Ms. Volleyball on Monday. “She doesn’t ever do it half-hearted. She wants to be the very best she possibly can.” Farr’s talent offered her opportunities, but her work ethic and leadership skills allowed her to develop into an exceptional player who helped her team enjoy an extraordinary season. The Trojans capped a perfect 32-0 season with a win over the team that broke their hearts in the 2014 championship match — Snow Canyon.
The difference was a focus and intensity from the team’s senior-heavy team, and among the squad’s leaders was Farr.
“She’s a very intense player, very competitive,” said Wiscombe. “If you’re on her team, she makes you feel calm and confident. She demands a lot of herself, and she expects you to do well. But she doesn’t ever get after you. She builds you up and gives you that calm that makes you feel like you can do it.”
And while Farr is the kind of leader who inspires confidence in those around her, she also earns a lot of respect for her athletic ability — especially from those she competes against.
“She really upped her level of play this season,” said Snow Canyon head coach Alaina Parker. “She is a hard worker, and she has high expectations for herself. (She’s) a nice outside hitter; she is a strong kid, and she was a good leader for her team.”
Wiscombe said that on a team filled with offensive weapons, Farr distinguished herself.
“She’s a go-to player,” Wiscombe said. “She wants the ball at the end of the game. …She’s so strong. She hits the ball so hard, and she terminates it.”
Farr finished the year with 390 kills and a .341 hitting percentage. She was also key in Morgan’s defense picking up 232 digs and earning 33 aces.
“Another area she worked really hard to improve was her blocking,” said Wiscombe. “She was so solid as our middle back (row), she just played with confidence.”
Farr found volleyball while attending Christian Heritage School in elementary school when her family lived in West Haven. She knew the high school coach, so she went to the clinics and fell in love with the sport. But Farr also played soccer, basketball and softball.
“When we moved to Morgan, she was in the fourth grade, and she just met a lot of girls out here who played volleyball,” said her mom, Shelley Farr. “We’d heard so much about Liz’s program, so in fifth grade, she got on a team and played.” Over the years, she dropped other sports, one by one, so she could focus on her passion.
At the same time, she is far from one-dimensional. The president of Morgan High School’s National Junior Honor Society, the 4.0 student, who will play volleyball at Pepperdine University, is also the vice president of the school’s service club.
“When Liz gave the girls a day off from volleyball, they’d go do service as a volleyball team.”
Farr is also determined not to waste her physical gifts.
“She goes and works out on her own every day,” said her mom. “She loves working out, whether practicing volleyball or just going to the gym on her own. Jaiden feels like she’s not accomplished for the day if she doesn’t work out.”
Farr is completely self-motivated, although her parents have tried to support their daughter in her efforts to improve her skills.
“But sometimes we do have to tell her ‘enough already,'” said Shelley Farr laughing. “She’s just very dedicated.”
Her mom said watching Farr and her teammates do something special this season was more enjoyable than she ever imagined possible.
“I can’t even believe we watched a season like that,” Shelley said. “So many ups and very little downs, and everybody contributed. It was just so much fun. And the best part is that they did it as a team.”
Wiscombe said she feels fortunate to have had the opportunity to coach Farr and her teammates this year.
“She’s just a neat, very kind person,” the coach said. “Jaiden Farr is just genuine, a class act, so kind to everybody. And then, she gets on the court and plays with everything she’s got. I feel so lucky to have Jaiden and this team this season.”
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