Through volleyball, Howland graduate Nia Grant has seen the world. After departing from Penn State as a two-time national champion, Grant has spent time playing professionally in Thailand, France, Germany, Poland and Italy.

She’s now in the second year of a new venture, the Nia Grant Volleyball Academy, which aims to provide the same globetrotting experiences Grant has had while imparting her knowledge of the sport.

Grant’s group this year has a wide range of ages, spanning from 12 all the way to juniors in college. No matter how old the girls are, there’s something new to learn and experience.

“I just have been so blessed to be from here and be able to leave here and see all the things and travel the world,” Grant said. “It’s something that was really important to me, to be able to give other kids the same experience. Like maybe they don’t want to go to college and play Division I or play pro, but let’s get your passport and let’s go outside. We’re just like trying to get more girls because it’s really hard to be on a high school team or a club team, and all the girls want to be as good as they can be. Usually, you have some girls who want to do it for social reasons, or some girls who want to be great, and the experience is not the same for everybody. But then to bring a group of girls together who have one common goal is, even to just coach this and watch it and be around it, the feeling is unmatched.”

This year, the girls are traveling to Costa Rica. While getting her girls in front of quality competition is at the forefront of the decision, finding fun locales is a top priority as well.

Luckily, Grant is well-traveled, with no shortage of destinations in mind.

“I have been myself to a little over 50 countries, and so I chose places that I already know,” she said. “Costa Rica specifically is one of my top two places that I’ve ever been to. I just love it so much, and I was like, ‘OK, that’s gotta be our next trip.’ Last year we did Europe, and it was more sightseeing, but Costa Rica is more beach and chill, and just a different vibe than we had last year.”

The job is part coach, part travel agent, part recruiting advisor. It’s a perfect synthesis of Grant’s loves and her lived experience. She noted that one of her proudest moments since starting this venture is helping one of her girls get their passport.

“I think that volleyball has changed so much since I was in school. Like now, I work in the recruiting space and also agency work, and I think something that changed is that girls don’t have a break,” Grant said. “It’s a constant ‘I can’t go on vacation with my family, I can’t travel, I can’t take a break or have some fun or do teenage things’, so it was really important for me to see how I can give them this high-level experience and they can still train, but also in the same space they don’t feel like they’re missing anything like the training back home because it gives you that anxious feeling. Now they have a balance of both, and they get to see the world because it’s so important to open their minds.”

Two of the college students are from local schools: Mary-Catherine Werth, a 2024 graduate of Boardman, and 2024 Liberty graduate Lexi Muck are both involved with the academy.

Muck, who is entering her junior year at PennWest California, has used this as an opportunity to grow not only as a player but also in preparation for her post-playing goals.

“Getting to work with Nia is really good,” Muck said. “I want to coach when I graduate, so it’s good to get that experience. But I love working with the girls. They’re great.”

Being a mentor to the younger girls has also been a highlight of the experience for Werth, who is entering her junior year at Wooster College.

“It’s been great to come in and compete at such a high level and get the experience with working with a lot of girls younger than me.,” Werth said. “Some girls are my peers from years past, and working with them again has been great. Just getting reps at such a high level has been awesome. … I’m looking forward to getting to play against overseas competition, and I’m always looking to grow as a player, but on top of that, I’m the oldest one here, so (I’ve loved) getting to take on a leadership position on this team and work with these younger girls and just coach them and try to get them better and better.”

Grant is taking over the volleyball program at Warren JFK starting in the fall.

“We’re just trying to grow that program and make it a place that (catches people’s attention),” Grant said. “We’ve got the athletes; that’s not a problem. So I think it’s just nurturing the program.”

At the time of writing, Grant and her team have touched down in Costa Rica.