This is the fourth and last of a series of profiles on four Philly grads who are freshmen at North Carolina, courtesy of UNC Athletics.
Phillylacrosse.com, Posted 2/6/22 – From Press Release
Grant Pierce, a freshman defenseman from Radnor, was a First-Team All-Central League, All-EPLCA, All-American and First-Team All-Phillylacrosse.com pick as well as the Phillylacrosse.com Co-Player of the Year for the league and PIAA AAA champion Raptors. He is ranked No. 51 by Inside Lacrosse among incoming freshmen for the No. 1 ranked overall class.
Blake Clifton: First off, when did you start playing lacrosse, and how did you get into it?
Pierce: I started playing lacrosse around first or second grade. I grew up in Southern California, and lacrosse wasn’t that popular. There were not a lot of teams, so my dad, who played lacrosse, decided to start up a team at the local park. It soon grew into a league full of teams. So that’s pretty much how I got started playing lacrosse.
Clifton: Why did you choose to come to UNC?
Pierce: There were a couple of things that led me to come to UNC. A lot of it was Coach Breschi reaching out and telling me how the program is one big family and how caring they were. I thought the team motto Family, Academics, and Lacrosse was so cool. Also, when I had realized I had the opportunity to come to a school like UNC, I couldn’t pass it up. I was initially committed to going somewhere else, but I knew it would work out better for me at UNC.
Clifton: How excited will you be when you first put on the Carolina jersey and run out on the field to represent the Tar Heels?
Pierce: Well, it’s the kind of stuff you dream about growing up. You want to play lacrosse at the highest level. That was my goal from day one. Carolina is a top-five team almost every year, and the ACC is probably the best conference in lacrosse. It’s hard to be so good in a league like the ACC, but Carolina continues to perform year in and out. It’s exhilarating to play in a conference like the ACC and against all these great athletes.
Clifton: In short summary, describe Coach Breschi?
Pierce: Coach Breschi to me, always has a positive attitude in everything he does. Last year after the Virginia game in the Final Four, I saw that he was embracing everybody and telling them how proud he was of them. He’s a great coach and a great man overall.
Clifton: Talk about your playing style and what you bring to the team here at UNC?
Pierce: I’d say one of my best assets is communication and stick work. I love the grit and grind nature of the game and will do anything to get the ball. I love pushing the transition and game planning with my teammates and coaches. I take a lot of pride in the way I play, and I will do anything to help the team succeed.
Clifton: What is something you can eat every day and never get tired of?
Pierce: I would have to say tacos.
Clifton: What celebrity or famous athlete would you like to meet?
Pierce: I would have to say, T.J. McConnell, who plays for the Philadelphia 76ers, or Hyung Ki Kwo, who plays soccer for Tottenham Hotspur. I like the way both of them play the game.
Clifton: If you could travel anywhere in the world, where would it be?
Pierce: I would probably go to South Africa because I have heard many cool things about the country. There are many places to go mountain climbing and surfing there is pretty good too.
Clifton: Final question, when you think about your college career, is there anything that you’re looking to accomplish in your college career as a team and individually.
Pierce: Team-wise, I would like to win as many games as possible, including ACC and National Championships. Individually I will try to do anything I can to make the team better, and hopefully, while doing that, I will earn some individual awards along the way.
