Smith makes leaps of victory at LV

photo by Blanca Rocha

Senior outside hitter Amy Smith will join the women’s volleyball team at the NCAA quarterfinals. Smith and the team will take on the University of Wisconsin, LaCrosse, Saturday. The Leopards, who have won four straight Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference titles, completed their second consecutive season unbeaten in SCIAC matches

by Chrissy Zehrbach
Sports Editor

When Amy Smith was originally recruited to come to the University of La Verne as a track and field athlete, she never expected to be an all-star on the volleyball team as well.

“About three weeks before I came down, I decided to try out for the volleyball team,” Smith said.
The 5-foot-8 senior outside hitter from Atascadero, Calif. was a three-sport athlete at Atascadero High School, competing in volleyball, soccer and track and field

She started playing volleyball her freshman year in high school.

“I was coerced into doing it by a PE teacher, actually,” Smith said. “I had no idea what volleyball was.”

One of Smith’s high school coaches attended ULV with head coach Don Flora and got them talking about the possibility of Smith playing at La Verne.

“I love competing, so the more things I can keep doing, I’m happy with that,” Smith said.

On the track team at ULV, Smith competes in the high jump. Her freshman year she took first place in the event in conference and qualified for nationals. She also set the school record with a 5’6.5’’ jump. Last year, her junior year, she took second place in conference, and qualified for nationals a second time.

It is because of her experience in high jump that Smith has the highest vertical jump on the volleyball team. Watching her play is a sight to see.

“When we play away, the fans aren’t supposed to say ‘ooh’ and ‘aah’ when she hits, or even jumps, but they do,” said Randi Smart, assistant volleyball coach.

“I remember her sophomore year, the girls asking her if she realized people came to watch her because she’s so dynamic and explosive,” Smart said. “I think this year she realizes it and enjoys it.”

Smith has had a lot of success in her senior volleyball season, having been selected First Team All-Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference, Athlete of the Week twice and named to the All-Tournament Team in all three tournaments ULV participated in this season.

“I didn’t come here for volleyball, so for me to accomplish anything in volleyball is great, but I feel like I’ve accomplished a lot more off the court,” Smith said. “My four years here have been a huge learning experience for me.”

“She’s explosive and very athletic. She’s been willing to grow and learn as a volleyball player,” Flora said.

Smith said her freshman year was all about learning and getting acclimated to the sport.

“My freshman year I came in completely wide-eyed,” Smith said.

Near the end of her sophomore season, Smith injured her knee warming up for a semifinal game in the National Collegiate Athletic Conference volleyball championship tournament.

Smith took a fall in the hitting lines, tearing her anterior cruciate ligament (ACL), medial collateral ligament (MCL) and medial meniscus.

“It was a weekend I’ll never forget,” Smith said. “It was a heartbreaking situation to go that far and not finish a season.”

The team went on to win the national championship that season. Although she could not play in the final matches, Smith had contribute to the team getting them that far. It was a tough season overall, but the team pulled through, she said.

“It was great my team won and could do it under those circumstances,” Smith said.

After eight months of recovery and rehabilitation, Smith was back on the court for the next season her junior year, although she feels she was not ready physically or mentally after such a long break.

“She came back very well from the actual injury,” Flora said. “It takes time to get into the rhythm of volleyball.”

“It was a rough injury to come back from in that amount of time,” Smith said.

Although she seemed to hold back last year because of her injury, Smith seems fearless this year.

Nothing can stop her on the court.

“Emotionally she is so much more level in terms of her knee, ability, everything,” Smart said. “This year it looks like she’s having fun on the court, finally, and she should be.”

Now that it is her senior year, it is Smith’s time to shine.

“This year I’m just having fun and going to town on everything. It’s my senior year, I just want to have fun,” Smith said.

From preseason through SCIAC play, in 85 games, she had 284 kills with a .293 hitting percentage, 266 digs, 27 service aces and 39 blocks.

“This year she’s been very stable,” Smart said.

In ULV’s two regional playoff matches over the weekend, Smith recorded 24 kills and 26 defensive digs.

“As a coaching staff, it’s wonderful to see a player have their best year their final year,” Flora said. “Amy has had an exceptional year.”

“She’s definitely a role model, definitely a leader,” Smart said. “In previous years she’s been a physical leader. This year she’s a physical leader, but also a supporter emotionally, a friend and a confidant.”

In Smith’s four years at ULV, the volleyball team has only lost two SCIAC contests: a loss to Occidental College her freshman year, and a forfeit her sophomore year, resulting in the highest SCIAC winning percentage ever over a four-year span (.964). The team currently holds the SCIAC record for consecutive conference wins, a current streak of 36.

“It’s nice because us three seniors have been here when it started and now we’re walking away from it,” Smith said. “It’s the accumulation of so many people.

“It’s a good feeling, but honestly, I don’t think of it as a winning streak. It’s our job and our goal is to be undefeated every season,” Smith said. “I just hope teams in the future can continue to do that.”

Smith’s favorite aspect of volleyball is “reaching your goal and knowing your efforts paid off.” And for that reason, her favorite memory of her time at ULV is winning the national championship.

She said she will miss “having something to work for” once she graduates.

“I’m determined in getting what I want,” Smith said. “All these years I’ve been an athlete and had these goals and I’ve worked toward them. It’s weird that I’m going to be working out, but not to win a championship.”

Smith, a psychology major, will graduate from ULV in May. She plans to get her masters degree in either marriage and family therapy or counseling for higher education.

“She’s totally amazing. I will miss her when she’s gone. She’s such a fire,” Smart said. “She has grown so much in her four years here.”

“These last four years have been wonderful,” Smith said with a smile. “There have been a ton of good things and a ton of bad things, but I have learned from all of them.”

As the volleyball team pursues another national title this season, Smith recognized the team’s unity and drive for success.

“We know what we want and what it takes to get there. We’re united and we do what it takes,” Smith said. “You have to be out there for something, and want to win. I can definitely say our team wants to win.”