CHICAGO – Seventeen players make up the 2024 Michigan volleyball team. Of those 17, 11 are underclassmen, including a class of six incoming freshmen. Last season, the Wolverines had just six underclassmen.
The influx of youth injected into the Michigan locker room not only signifies a fresh start after a disappointing 2023, but it also requires new athletes to find their voice as leaders. For the Wolverines, they didn’t have to search too hard for their answer — junior middle blocker Serena Nyambio has already stepped up.
Nyambio is young herself, at least in comparison to her peers at the Big Ten Volleyball Media Days. Heading into her junior season, she was one of the younger athletes to take the stand to address the media. But her mere presence signaled her status as a leader in Ann Arbor. She is one of the faces of the program.
In her sophomore season, Nyambio proved what she could do on the court. She led the team in blocks with 88, and was fourth on the team in both kills and points with 154 and 205, respectively. But self-admittedly, she still felt like an underclassman, turning to her older, more experienced teammates for guidance.
“I remember being a freshman, sophomore,” Nyambio said Monday. “And I’d be like, ‘What are we doing today? Where are you supposed to go?’ ”
Being a young student-athlete in college is tough. Not only does the stress of athletic performance take a toll on the mind and body, but coupled with drastic life changes, rapid personal development and rigorous academics, the first few years of a college athletic career can be an overwhelming time period. Now, Nyambio is one of those people her young teammates can turn to for guidance.
“Now, freshmen and sophomores are asking me, ‘What do I do today? What am I supposed to do?’ ” Nyambio said. “So (there is) a lot more responsibility knowing what’s going on. I can’t just come in and play volleyball.”
Leadership is a maturation process, especially off the court. An athlete can be absolutely dominant at their craft and still lack the abilities needed to be a vocal leader. In the same vein, another athlete can possess natural leadership skills yet fall flat on the court. Good leaders can do one or the other, great leaders can do both.
A younger Nyambio could lead the team on the court — literally leading the team in blocks — but now, she has begun to mature into a vocal, off-court leader. Her play on the court combined with her natural poised confidence gives Nyambio the chance to become one of those great leaders.
“(I notice) the shift of leading by example versus go with the flow,” graduate outside hitter Allison Jacobs said. “People look at (Nyambio) and are excited to see what she does, and it’s really cool to see her growth as a leader.”
With such a young squad surrounding her, Nyambio has the chance to further embed her legacy within the program with this new batch of freshmen. Even after she’s graduated, the impact she has on these new faces can remain integral to the program’s long-term development.
With more experience under her belt, new responsibilities begin to arise. Nyambio now has 11 underclassmen under her wing, and she has the room to spread her wings as a leader.
The post Surrounded by youth, Serena Nyambio is growing into a leadership role appeared first on The Michigan Daily.
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