Missoula Volleyball Academy 18 National coach Nate Michael recalls a tournament his team played recently in Colorado.

“Every coach who walked by our court came and talked to me afterward,” he said.

They all wanted to know where “Michael’s lefty” was going to play next year.

That lefty would be Flathead’s Kwyn Johnson and she verbally committed this spring to play volleyball at Arizona State University.

“There are the obvious factors. She’s 6-foot-3, she’s lefthanded, she’s got really good feet and she jumps well. She’s going to score points no matter what,” Michael said when asked what makes Johnson a Pac-12 volleyball player.

Johnson’s jumping ability is well-documented. She won the Class AA triple jump a few weeks ago with a new state record of 38 feet 4 3/4 inches.

On top of that is Johnson’s ability to learn quickly. She’s only played with the Missoula club team for one year, but she caught on fast, he said.

“She’s able to adapt to some more complex styles of blocking, team offense and team defense. She’s going to be able to grasp the mental portions of what she needs to know,” he said.

The Pac-12 has a lot of six rotation players, Michael said. Back row is an area in which Johnson has experience, having played there for the Missoula team.

“She has decent defensive instincts and she hits out of the back row,” the coach said.

“Those are the kind of kids who can become All-American one day.

“If she can get the speed of the game up there quick enough, I think the sky is kind of the limit,” he said.

Johnson, who will be a senior at Flathead next fall and who plans to play again for the Bravettes, also had offers from University of Montana and Texas Tech, but she was interested in Arizona State since she attended a four-day camp there last July.

They offered in mid-September and Johnson accepted in March.

“That I was tall and left-handed and athletic. I was athletic and coachable. That’s what they like,” Johnson said the Arizona State coaches told her of their reason for offering a full-ride to her.

“I really like all the players, all the coaches. All the players have great things to say about the coaches and the campus was awesome.

“It was warm. I’m really sick of winter.”

She’s looking forward to “warm weather and great coaching and meeting new friends.

“It is big, which is kind of scary, but I’m excited for a change,” she added.

“I’m scared because it’s a lot higher level than I’ve ever played, but it will be exciting.”

Johnson carries a 4.0 grade point average at Flathead, but isn’t yet sure about her field of study.

“I’m leaning toward something medical or possibly physical therapy, but nothing is sure,” she said.

Her parents, Tryg and Lynette, were all for her taking the offer.

“My dad was for it from the beginning and my mom is super excited, too. She’s thinks it’s a great opportunity,” Johnson said.

“My dad was a huge help in my recruiting process. He did almost everything to get me where I am. He helped with my e-mails, he made me call coaches. He was the driving force behind it.”

She will go on another visit to Arizona State in either September or October.