FLORENCE, Ala. (June 25, 2024) – Another Lion has joined the pros.
 
Following a successful five-year career at the University of North Alabama that ended with first team all-conference honors in 2023, volleyball standout Anna Katherine Griggs signed with Racing Club de Cannes in Cannes, France for the 2024-25 season.
 
Griggs came to UNA in 2019 from Arab, Ala. where she was a volleyball standout at Arab High School. She led the Knights to a trio of Final Four appearances in the Class 5A state tournament while winning Class 5A Player of the Year as a senior.
 
This success led her to Florence, where she has thrived for the last five years.
 
"My time at the University of North Alabama is something I will always treasure," said Griggs. "For five years, I dedicated myself to this university, and what I received in return is too precious to ever be repaid. I am just so incredibly grateful for it all. And now, I am most excited about what's next."
 
Goodbye, Alabama. Bonjour, France.
 
Griggs was announced to the RC Cannes Volleyball roster this past Thursday and is now one of two American players on the roster. Three days after Griggs was announced, the club shared that former Western Kentucky University standout Lauren Matthews joined the team.
 
Eight countries are represented on the RC Cannes roster, including five from France. Griggs is one of three middle blockers listed on the roster, joining Amalie Jorgensen of Denmark and Camille Massuel from France. Jorgensen played one season at MTSU before taking her game back across seas.
 
While Griggs is excited to join her new teammates in a few weeks, she said she will miss her UNA teammates who helped her get to this point.
 
"To all my teammates along the way, thank you for giving me the courage and love to step onto the court every day," she said. "Nothing is possible without all of you. To the volleyball staff, athletic staff and academic staff at UNA who played a significant role in my development as an athlete and as a person, your dedication does not go unnoticed and has touched everyone who steps on campus.
"I would also like to extend my heartfelt thanks to my management at Athletes Abroad and the coaching staff at RC Cannes for believing in my abilities and giving me this incredible opportunity. I am excited to represent the club and give my all to contribute to its success. Thank you so much."
 
The French Ligue A volleyball season begins in October.
 
As for her legacy with the Lions, Griggs leaves with seven Division I school records, including the single-season records for hitting percentage (.429), kills (304), solo blocks (15), block assists (85) and most matches with double figure kill totals (16). Four of the five records were set this past season, including her .429 hitting percentage that ranked sixth in the NCAA and set an all-time high for the Atlantic Sun Conference.
 
Griggs joins a prestigious group of Lions that have made it to the professional ranks in their sport, including volleyball players such as Emily Callaway and Sarah Roberts who finished their collegiate careers in 2010. Roberts was a two-time AVCA All-American honorable mention who went on to play on the AVP Pro Beach Tour until 2019. 
 
Griggs will be UNA's first Division I player to sign a pro volleyball contract.
 
"I am so incredibly proud of AK," said UNA head coach Tristan Johnson. "She has now set another benchmark for our program as the first professional volleyball player in the Division I era. This opportunity is something that she has earned with so much hard work and dedication to her craft. Her story is one of my favorites in my coaching career. I couldn't be more excited for the lifechanging experiences and opportunities that she will garner on this journey as a professional volleyball player. The UNA Volleyball family is so proud of her and eager to see the amazing things she will do."
 
For more information on North Alabama Athletics, visit www.roarlions.com and follow UNA Athletics on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.