November 15, 2016

By Christopher Sich

The Dominican University women’s volleyball team saw their season come to a close Thursday, November 3, in the semifinal round of the 2016 Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference (NACC) Tournament against Aurora University Spartans. The Stars started strong and fought hard losing the first set 23-25, but were not able to slow down the Spartans as they lost in three sets.

The loss comes on the heels of the Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference (NACC) releasing their 2016 women’s volleyball All-NACC Teams which includes three Stars.  Senior Rosalyn Wyse and Junior Kendyl Todd were named to the All-NACC first team while libero Audrey Wyse was named to the All-NACC second team.

Rosalyn Wyse was Dominican’s top outside, knocking down 291 kills on the season and averaging 2.58 kills per set.  The senior ranked in the top ten in the NACC in kills, kills per set and total attacks offensively while her 328 digs on the season was tenth most in the conference this season. 

“I attribute my success and accomplishments to all the great coaches and mentors I have had throughout the years, because without being taught the fundamentals and different techniques, I would not have become the volleyball player I am today,” Rosalyn Wyse said. “I also have had a good work ethic instilled in me throughout my life and believe that this mentality combined with my competitive nature has been a huge factor in my success as a volleyball player.”

Sister and senior Audrey Wyse, also attributes her personal success to all of the coaches she has had throughout her life, and sees the All-NACC selection as a fitting way to end her volleyball career. Audrey Wyse ranked second in the NACC in digs and digs per set, collecting 493 digs over 107 sets played on the season.

“It feels good to be selected to the all NACC team because I have worked so hard at not only the skills of volleyball but also at developing my leadership skills,” Audrey Wyse said. “So to achieve that was a nice way to end my college career.”

After a long and hard fought season, there are several positives to take away that give optimism for the future of the program.

“I finished the season feeling that everyone on the team put forth their best effort, no matter the outcome of the season. We faced many challenges throughout the season and struggled with a physically and mentally challenging schedule, yet there was growth and progress made from the first day to the very last day,” Rosalyn Wyse said. “It was evident we had grown a lot as a team based on different statistics when comparing games from the beginning and end of the season.”

The team began the season with a tough schedule, but kept working and their growth was evident as the days passed. One factor that resulted in the team’s growth was the team cohesion and that each player held themselves to a high standard.

“I think the team did a really good job of holding each other accountable on and off the court. There was an understanding that if what you were doing wasn’t bettering the team, you had to hold yourself to a higher standard for your teammates and change either your mentality or your actions on or off the court,” Rosalyn Wyse said. “We were comfortable with each other and respected feedback from all classes because we were so close, a family if I may say.”

This 14 member family worked hard all season and leaned on each other when times got tough, but they could not have accomplished that they did this season without Coach Czipri and the rest of the coaching staff. Coach Czipri had a large influence on Audrey Wyse, and the team as a whole.

“She had a huge influence on me not only in volleyball but also in life; she has helped me develop myself as a player, a leader, student, and most importantly, as a person. I cannot thank her enough for the past two years of believing in me,” Wyse said. “Coach Czipri did a great job coaching us this year, despite all of the adversity the team experienced, I thought that the coaching staff did a great job coaching the different personalities on our team.”

With the 2016 season in the books, the team now set their sights on the 2017 season where they look to build off this past season’s growth.  The Stars look to become more mentally fit with the goal of making it back to the NACC conference tournament championship match and the NCAA tournament.

“The team wants to focus on being more mentally tough and having a winning mentality. We would have been more successful this year if we could have finished sets that were close and stayed mentally strong, and I know that is something the team is going to be working on moving forward,” Rosalyn Wyse said.

With Rosalyn and Audrey Wyse graduating this year, along with two other seniors, the Stars will rely on their youth for the 2017 season to help take the next step forward.

sichchri@my.dom.edu