Allendale MI-- Stephanie Deible is a 16 year-old junior at Grant High School who would give anything to be able to rise out of her wheelchair and spike a volleyball over the net.
"It's always been a dream of mine to play volleyball, because I absolutely love it. But I can't play," said Deible who was born with cerebral palsy.
"But that doesn't mean I can't be a fan of volleyball, which is my way of playing the sport."
It's safe to say Deible is a big-time, grade-A, Number 1 fan of a Grand Valley State squad that won last year's NCAA Division ll championship and is currently 19-2 and ranked sixth.
When the Lakers are competing inside the Grand Valley Fieldhouse, chances are very good that Deible is sitting behind the GVSU bench, despite the fact it's about a 1-hour , 40-minuate trip from her home to Allendale.
Now thats a true-blue supporter.
"She's just a big sports nut and a volleyball lover who started following Grand Valley the last few years, and can't get enough of the Lakers," said Deible's mother.
"We get to as many games as possible, and she'll even get on the computer to follow play-by-play when they're on the road.
"Steph can't play the sport she so dearly loves , so this is her way of participating."
You might even say the Lakers have adopted Deible into their program.
"I started noticing Steph showing up more and more at games a couple seasons ago, and then the players started to notice her," Lakers coach Deanne Scanlon said. "Then I would talk to her before matches, and the players would talk to her, then they started giving her Grand valley t-shirts and all...
"Now it's like it's not a home match until Steph and her mom come into the arena. She even e-mailed us when we were at the national tounament last year and came to our banquet."
Deible's presence also has instilled some real-life reality into Scanlon's players
"Steph being there with us, and confined to a wheelchaiur has truely humbled our kids," Scanlon said. "She's blessed our kids as much as we've blessed her. Sometimes college kids think 'woe is me,' then they see Stephanie."
Senior Megan Helsen can't help but feel motivated with Deible in the Lakers' corner.
"To have her at every home game and see her love for volleyball is really inspiring," said the outside hitter from Ravenna.
She's told us watching us play is her only way to be able to be a part of volleyball, since she'll never able to play. We care about a lot of our fans, but especially Stephanie. She's an extended part of our team."
Middle blocker Erica Vandekopple of Pellston also said it's no suprise to see the Deible's at some of our road matches. "She is such a sweet kid who is always there with a smile on her face," Vandekopple said. "She's just a great, dedicated person and we appreciate her total support of our program."
Deible, in turn, cherishes the fact the Lakers view her as a person and not someone in a wheelchair.
"A lot of people look at me differently and treat me differently, and that bothers me," she said. "I'm no different from anyone else, except that I use a wheelchair to get around."
"The Grand Valley coaches and players have taken the time to learn about me, and to accept me simply as a fan who got hooked on their volleyball." "It's awesome and their success is awesome too."
It wasn't until weeks after the GVSU volleyball team had earned the school's first national championship in a women's sport that Scanlon was able to fully comprehend the Lakers' impact on Deible.
"Steph e-mailed me after are banquet, which she attended, and said there was no way she could express how important our association was with her," Scanlon said. "She said she feels like she's on the court with our kids when she's at our games, and that it means everything to her."
"That e-mail really hit home how much of a difference we can make on a person's life."
