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Senior Standout: Heart Over Height

by Jordan Wood

In her first three seasons as a member of the Blackburn women’s volleyball team, Alexis Dick was tested. With a combined record totaling 8-81, the team’s winning percentage sat right under the .100 mark. Not only were the wins hard to come by, so was a sense of stability for both herself and the team as a whole.

As Dick wrapped up her high school career at De Land-Weldon, her experience was as a defensive specialist and outside hitter—despite her height at just 5 feet 1 inch tall. When her high school senior season concluded, she found herself changing career paths and unable to say goodbye to the game she fell in love with. After all, it had been a major part of her life since she first picked up a ball with some friends back in fifth grade. One change of heart and several conversations with her father later, Dick discovered Blackburn, or rather, Blackburn discovered her.

After registering for Next College Student Athlete—an organization geared towards connecting hopeful college athletes with coaches—Dick received emails from several coaches and schools. The first she received was from former Blackburn volleyball coach, Suzannah Behnken.

In Dick’s freshman season, with only seven recruited players and a busy schedule, there was significant playing time to go around as she spent most of that time playing outside and middle back. Prior to her sophomore season, Jordan Barton replaced Behnken as head coach. The change in coaching brought in more players, more competition and Dick found herself in a new position at right back. While she would have liked more playing time and a position she was more acquainted with, Dick took it in stride and improved her game.

Yet another coaching change in her junior season and an injury to libero Marlee Lindstrom, led Dick to split her time between middle back and libero. While many athletes would like a sense of stability in their position, Dick used the opportunity to become a more rounded player and craft her skills, both of which can be seen in her play as she begins her senior season as the team’s libero. It could be easy to see her height as a disadvantage especially in the game of volleyball, but the way in which she plays the game goes beyond any number. Her background as a high school outside hitter and stints in different defensive positions in her college career have developed her and her heart has strengthened her into the instinctual, quick-footed libero who comes out of nowhere to dig out a ball fans, teammates and coaches think there’s no chance for a play on.

Fellow senior Delanie Casto spoke highly of Dick saying, “Lex has always been a teammate that you can rely on. We’ve been through alot with this volleyball program in the past three years and there is no one else I would want standing beside me on the court.” A true leader both on and off the court, Dick is majoring in graphic design with minors in marketing communications, professional writing and business management. She is also the manager of the Administration Department.

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