Off the court with middle blocker Alex Muff

Alex Muff is a freshman middle blocker on the volleyball team. The Collegian sat down with her to talk about her past, present and future.

   
Q: You did well in volleyball, basketball and track in high school. Why did you choose volleyball?

A: The main reason was because it's a team sport. I know basketball is too, but I've been around basketball a lot, and I just kind of got worn out on that. For volleyball, I really started liking it my junior and senior year of high school, so I wanted to focus more on that. So, I started focusing more on doing club ball, and just started loving it.


Q: Are your sisters involved in sports, too?

A: Skyler is a sophomore in high school, and Taylor is a fifth-grader. Skyler does volleyball, basketball and track, too. She plays middle, also. She's not really decided on what sport she wants to do, but I know she's going to do a sport in college.


Q: How would you feel if Skyler came here and played with you?

A: I think I would like it. We got to play together my senior year, when she was a freshman. That was a lot of fun; I really enjoyed that. If she got the chance to come here, I would support her for sure.


Q: What was the transition from high school to college like?

A: This summer, I came up in July. The other freshmen and I have been practicing a little bit since then with the team. It's definitely a big change. It's a whole different level. There are a lot more little things that you have to worry about, and even the bigger things — like I've been working on my arm swing and things like that. Every little thing counts here. There are so many big plays that you have to take care of. It's a big transition, but I like it a lot.


Q: Why did you come to K-State?

A: K-State has always been a dream of mine, since I was a little girl. My dad played basketball here, and my mom went to school here. Growing up around it, coming to football games, coming to volleyball games when I was younger ... I just loved the atmosphere. This is somewhere that, if I got the chance to come here, I was pretty much going to say "yes."


Q: Has your first season here been so far?

A: It was rough starting out redshirting. I just tried to keep telling myself, "Keep working hard. Keep that goal in mind that you want to get some playing time and help your team in any way that you can." And once Coach told me that I would have the chance to potentially play, I really just started stepping up and trying to do my best to do whatever I could to help the team out even more. We've had a lot of upperclassmen leadership this year. Everybody's really stepping up right now, especially, getting some wins. We just really want to try to focus on ending the season on a good note. I think that all of us have stepped it up these last few games and really want to end it well.


Q: How have your teammates helped you?

A: I felt like I started off kind of slow; just timid and not really sure how to play yet. I feel like having Kelsey Chipman as someone to look up to and watch her and see how she does things — that's helped me to become a better player in my position. Having everybody else out there helping me out and helping me get used to playing out there, it helps a lot. Not even just Kelsey, but JuliAnnne and Kathleen — all of them — they help me a lot at the net, calling out the hitters on the other side and calling out where the set's going, just little things at the net. It's a good atmosphere to be talking in. The upperclassmen help me a lot with that.


Q: What are your goals for this team?

A: We just want to end the season well, just whatever we can do to get ourselves higher in the Big 12. As for the four years, I feel like we can keep improving each year and try to make it to the NCAA Championship.


Q: Who is your best friend on the team?

A: Living in the dorms, Ashley Kelican is my roommate, and so we get along really well. And Kacia Turner. We three like to hang out together, and we do a lot. But I get along with everyone on the team. Everyone's really nice.


Q: Do you want to stay in the middle all four years?

A: I think it's whatever the coaches want me to do. I'm up for anything. If the coaches decide to put me in a different position, then I'm up for the challenge. I played outside in high school. It's a lot different than here. You get put in a lot more different situations, high balls and that kind of thing. Whatever the coaches want, I would do.


Q: What are your academic plans?

A: I'm in open option right now. I'm not really sure what I want to go into. I've been thinking mass communications, journalism, that kind of thing, but I'm not sure.


Q: Do you have any ideas about your future?

A: I'm not really sure. Right now, I'm just in a bunch of different classes, and I'm not really sure what I want. I want to get the chance to see what I like, but I definitely want to do something that is involved with sports in some way. I like sports a lot. I definitely want to stay around sports somehow, either coaching, or anything.



***INFO ON STATS***
Has started in 11 matches
46 kills for .217
5th on team for kills/set
28 blocks
2nd on team in blocks/set