Sept. 22, 2008
Sophomore defensive specialist Alyssa D'Errico is a mainstay in the Nittany Lion lineup this season, having played in all nine matches and 27 games. She sits among the team's dig leaders with 52 for the year and also has five aces. Read on to learn a little bit more about D'Errico (pronounced Duh-ree-ko, despite what some of her teammates say).
What is your favorite thing about being a Penn State student?
"The fact that classes go right along with volleyball. No matter what happens in one, you know you always have the other to concentrate on as well."
What is your favorite thing about being a Penn State student-athlete?
"The fact that we have so much support from the community and the students. It definitely helps to know that when you're struggling, that you have people there that will help you."
Why Penn State?
"I came here for East Coast (club championships) when I was really little and loved it, and ever since I've wanted to come here."
What is/has been your favorite class at Penn State and why?
"My EGEE class (Energy and the Environment) over the summer with Sarma Pisupati. He is a really funny teacher and he really appreciated the athletes and the extra things that we have to do beside the academics. He was very helpful and it was a great class, learning about the environment."
What is your favorite place on campus and why?
"Probably Rec Hall because I spend so much time here and when you're here playing, there is no place like it. There is so much support and you feel like you have people to back you up and help you out."
When you are not at class or practice, what are you doing?
"Homework and making sure that everything is done or hanging out with Nic and Christa at the house."
What have you found to be the biggest differences between club and college competition?
"The speed of the game. In club, you play against the good players individually, they're not all on one team and not everything is the same pace. So the biggest thing is just getting adjusted to that every team is going to have several good players on it."
Since coming to Penn State, what has been the biggest thing you have learned, in the gym?
"That hard work pays off. It's what you do when you don't have to be in the gym, the little things in the optional time, definitely helps when you have to be here."
Since coming to Penn State, what has been the biggest thing you have learned, out of the gym?
"Time management. I thought I had good time management coming in because I came from a small high school and was involved with a lot of things, but you definitely know that there is a different level of time management when you get to college."
What has been the hardest part of practice and why?
"The constant intensity level. It doesn't change every day, it's mandatory 100% all the time, there's never a day where you can say `I'm just going to go half-speed today,' you always have to go hard."
At what age did you begin participating in volleyball, and how did you get into it?
"I started playing club when I was six. My mom played with the national team and my dad is a ref, my mom is a coach, so I've always been around it."
How would you describe the personality of the team this year?
"Comical. We have some new people who are changing the atmosphere to have fun in practice rather than always being rigid and tough. I love the incoming players who have changed it a little bit and it makes practice a lot better."
What is your favorite part of volleyball and why?
"I love passing. It's kind of my groove and what I grew up doing. I had to have good ball-control to play in the positions that I have played in, so I love it. The server tries to challenge you and you try to shove it back at them."
Who is the craziest person on the team and why?
(Without hesitation) "Definitely Tice. I know everyone has said that, but she is definitely the craziest person, with her sign language and her dancing and her random comments, she keeps the rest of us entertained and loose."
What advice would you give to young volleyball players?
"Stay consistent and work at it as much as you can. Volleyball is a sport where you can do everything right physically and it still won't happen. It's a lot of mental, a lot of tough work. But if you put in the time off the court by yourself, it will pay off when you get to the big time."
What is the best advice you have ever gotten, and from whom did you receive it?
"My club coaches when I was a freshman. They told me that every time I step on the court, I have to expect to win and play to win. If you step on the court with a negative attitude, it's going to affect you that way. You have to step on the court with a complete positive mindset, thinking `nobody is going to beat me.'"
What is your favorite sport (other than volleyball) to watch at Penn State and why?
"That's tough. I love all of the sports. Since Ari and I came in we've tried to go out and support every sport. We've been to hockey, soccer, and a lot more. We just want to make sure that other student-athletes understand that there are teams here supporting you no matter what."
How did you get your nickname (Nummy)?
"My first year of club I was helping with a recruiting video and I couldn't get the balls to the server quick enough, so my coach meant to call me a `dumb dumb' but he accidentally said `numb numb' and it's stuck. It's become Nummy, Nummy Lynn, basically anything that starts with `Numb.'"
What is it like every time you put on a Penn State jersey?
"It's an amazing feeling. I've wanted to come to Penn State since I was little and I think last year I took it for granted a little bit last year, more like "oh, I'm here, that's great." Now I realize it's more and I want to represent Penn State in a good way every time I step onto the court. I didn't realize how much impact we have. There are other little kids who want to come here too. It was definitely a good experience this summer working with camps and realizing that those are the kids who are going to be coming here in the future."