Russ Rose Then (2007): “Alyssa comes in with all of the skills and talents to make an immediate contribution. She is a good server, a great passer, and a tough competitor. One of our biggest needs at this point is to shore up our backrow skills with the graduation of Ashley Fidler and Kris Brown and the departure of Laura Holloway. Alyssa, while she can’t replace all of those players, is going to be a player we depend on to make a big contribution. At ths point in time she is competing for the libero position. That position is going to dictate what kind of a season we’re going to have, and I have great confidence in Alyssa as a player and competitor.”
Russ Rose Now (2025):
2007 Season: Played in all 36 matches and 112 of 122 games as a defensive specialist … saw first career action in both matches against Texas (8/24-25), recording two aces and seven digs … totaled 108 digs for the year, good for the sixth-highest total on the team … set a new career high with 12 digs in the national championship match against Stanford (12/15) … averaged 2.33 digs per game at the Penn State Classic, with a total of 21 digs … posted eight digs against Virginia Commonwealth (9/8) while playing libero … tallied seven digs versus Cal Poly (8/31) and Colgate (9/8) … had 13 service aces for the season … posted three aces against Delaware State (9/15) … had two aces versus Texas (8/25), Colgate (9/8) and at Yale (9/14) … also had two kills, including one against VCU (9/8) and another versus Northwestern (9/22).
Before Penn State: Five-time volleyball and basketball letterwinner at Byron-Bergen High School in Bergen, N.Y. … three-year volleyball captain and two-year basketball captain for the Bees … three-time first team all-state selection … five-time Section V Class C Most Valuable Player (2002-2006), beginning in her eighth grade year … led the Bees to three New York state titles (2004-2006) and five sectional titles … captured four Genesee Regional League championships … finished with a five-year scholastic varsity record of 98-12 … ranked 33rd on PrepVolleyball’s ‘Senior Aces’ list … 2006-2007 New York State Gatorade Player of the Year … achieved the career milestones of 1,000 kills and digs during junior season … ended tenure with 1,879 kills and 1,521 digs … two-time basketball Most Valuable Player … was an alternate for the USA A2 Team in 2006 … member of the VolleyFX Magic Club program … helped the squad to a 17th-place Open finish at the 2006 Nationals … also claimed the titles at the 2001, 2002 and 2004 East Coast Championship and the 2003 Northeast Qualifier … excels off the court, ranking sixth in her class … member of the National Honor Society … Student Council Parliamentarian in 2006 … was selected as an alternate for American Legion Girls State … nominated as a Kodak Young Leader … acted as president of the Varsity Club, the yearbook editor and the leader of the Byron-Bergen Emergency Response Team.