An eight year journey with GVSU volleyball

From left to right: Hilda Deible, Meghan Scanlon,
Megan Walling, and Ruth and Katey Crichton
on Senior Day 2012. 

Volleyball – to most it's a silly game, but to me it signifies opportunity.

For 25 points at a time my world stops. The sidelines are one place that always make me realize that my disability cannot and will not define my life. It's like for a few moments nobody can place limitations upon me.

I'm a firm believer that life isn't about all the things you may never accomplish. Instead, life is about all the opportunities you have in front of you. Even for someone with those beliefs, it was hard see opportunity out a court. Especially, knowing I will probably never walk out on it.

It wasn't until I spent eight years with the Grand Valley State University volleyball program that I even began to understand the magnitude of the opportunity that was front of me.

Cerebral Palsy may alter the way I approach a volleyball court, but it doesn't alter the magic that is college sports. Throughout the past eight years, Laker volleyball has given me the opportunity to experience so many things that student-athletes treasure.

From afar, I experienced the thrill of a national championship, two Elite Eight appearances, a Final Four run, and the milestone of notching 1,000 program victories. More importantly though, I gained a whole new family.

People always ask me if I ever imagine what my life would have been like if I could have played volleyball. While I have thought about it a time or two, I think more about how much I would be missing if things had turned out differently.

If things were different, I would be left without the friendship of 61 student athletes, an incredible coaching staff, and countless families and alums. I would be left without the memories of long road trips, tailgates and all the little things that come along with being part of team. Those are things I wouldn't change for the world.

When I first started this journey, I was simply a fifteen-year-old trying to find a way to stay involved in a game I love. Rolling into the Fieldhouse Arena back in 2005, I never expected that one head coach and one program could change my life. I was wrong.

In sports and in life there are so many opportunities. Every time you step out on the court you are presented with chance to play for something bigger than yourself. You represent your family, friends, hometown, school and all the people along the way that helped you get where you are today.

Thank you to each and every person who has been or is currently involved in GVSU volleyball. Throughout the past eight seasons you couldn't have been a better example of what it means to play for something way bigger than yourself.

To the players that have competed from 2005-2012, whether it was for one season or five, you have all impacted my life for the better. You have reinforced my faith that athletics can bring about opportunities in many different forms and gave me a chance to experience a little piece of Laker volleyball in a way I never thought possible. I am forever grateful for that.

THANK YOU!

Abby Aiken (2011-2012)

Danielle Alexander (2005-2008)

Janelle Beaudry (2007-2008)

Ashley Blaszczak (2009-2011)

Grace Burns (2010)

Stephanie Camper (2012)

Christina Canepa (2011-2012)

Stacey Catalono (2010-2011)

Allyssa DeHaan Clark (2011)

Katey Crichton (2005-2009)

Tina Tromblay Doran (2005)

Abby Ebels (2009-2012)

Sacha Gill (2010-2012)

Cortney Lokker Goodale (2005-2006)

Kaity Gormley (2006-2009)

Carley Gross (2012)

Megan Helsen Hamilton (2005-2006)

Lauren Hanson (2005)

Lindsey Bayle Hardley (2005-2006)

Erica Vande Kopple Heimforth (2005-2007)

Kelly Hogan (2005)

Lyndsey Holt (2011-2012)

Andrea Hyames (2010-2011)

Brittney Jackson (2010)

Cailie Johnson (2010-2011)

Ann Kendzicky (2007-2009)

Tracy Kirk (2005)

Jessica Knysz (2008)

Olivia Kohler (2009-2011)

Krysta Kornack (2006-2010)

Alisha Laing (2012)

Kaleigh Lound (2012)

Sara Lowe (2007)

Jessica Majerle (2012)

Stephanie McCarthy (2006-2007)

Courtney McCotter (2007-2011)

Allyson McKnight Riley (2005-2007)

Mackenzie Mitzner (2010)

Traci Baker Mostrom (2007)

Audrey Oake (2012)

Briana Usitalo Paul (2006)

Sam Phillips (2009-2012)

Jamie Ashmore Pott (2005-2008)

Rebeccah Rapin (2007-2010)

Lauren Reber (2005-2008)

Rachel Rohlfs (2008-2009)

Betsy Ronda (2012)

Clair Ruhenkamp (2011-2012)

Meghan Scanlon (2006-2010)

Megan Schroeder (2011-2012)

Ally Simmons (2011-2012)

Meghan Moore Slater (2005-2006)

Abby Storm (2009)

Whitney Tremain (2008-2009)

Eno Umoh (2008-2012)

Leslie Curtis Veneman (2007-2010)

Megan Walling (2005-2008)

Josie Werner (2012)

Nicole Whiddon (2008-2011)

Alyssa Wolfram (2011-2012)

Meredith Young (2006-2009)

True Blue Fan of GVSU

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."