Grinz on Green: Seniors Build Winning Culture Through Inclusiveness
11/13/2016 12:00:00 AM | Volleyball
Spartans vs. Michigan: Senior Night and Game Photo Gallery
By Steve Grinczel, MSUSpartans.com Online Columnist
EAST LANSING, Mich. -- Is Michigan State volleyball winning at a rate not seen since it reached the semifinals of the 1995 NCAA Tournament because of its camaraderie, or is a close family-like atmosphere the reason MSU is enjoying a spike in its success?
The answer is an unambiguous "Yes" on both counts.
Ask seniors Allyssah Fitterer, Chloe Reinig, Autumn Christenson and Kristen Brashear about the legacy they're leaving behind as they turn to the homestretch of their careers, and they don't wax poetic about the bounty of victories, the three straight NCAA appearances or making it to the Sweet 16 as freshmen in 2013.
Without fail they bring up, like sisters who finish each other's sentences, the inclusive culture they set out to create.
"Not to say it wasn't good when we came in, but now almost everybody on the team is friends with everybody on and off the court," says Fitterer during a pre-practice courtside conversation in Jenison Field House. "We're much more comfortable speaking to each other directly on the court on what needs to be fixed, what needs to be changed. We don't take offense to it and it's a much better atmosphere for practicing."
Was it not a friendly team when they arrived?
"It was," Fitterer and Christenson reply in unison...
..."I don't know how to describe it," Christenson continues as Fitterer seamlessly finishes her thought... ..."It was like you were friends when you came to practice and when you were gone we didn't hang out as much with the team."
"Correct," Christenson says. "No one's afraid to speak their mind. Going through these four years we've built relationships with people coming in as well as people leaving, so I think we've set a good base for being good people to talk to."
Minutes later, in a separate conversation from Fitterer and Christenson, and without their prompting, Reinig says: "This senior class has changed the program in a way to make the team more of a family. When I came in, the classes were kind of separated. There were a lot of freshman and senior duties, what you can do at a certain age and what you can't do, and there were all these divisions.
"It wasn't a bad thing and it didn't cause problems. But as our class got older and became the upperclassmen, we worked on not having those separations by age or class, and becoming more of a whole team unit. I think it's changed the team chemistry a lot because we work better on the court, we work better off the court and that's definitely made a big difference."
Brashear, who transferred in this season after a coaching change at her former school, Ole Miss, put her volleyball career in an unnerving state of limbo, benefitted from the welcoming environment as a first-year Spartan before contributing to it with her infectious personality.
"It really helped me seeing that there wasn't going to be any dissention or going against what the captains were saying behind their backs, and it just really helped to know that we were all working towards the same thing," she says. "Even though I'm new, I think we have a really cohesive senior class. "We get along really well, you don't see any power struggles and we definitely don't let our seniority get in the way of anything. We all have the same goal and we're working together to achieve it."
"See, we all think of the same thing," interjects Reinig, who serves as co-captain with junior Rachel Minarick. "We're all talking about it independently. The tell-tale evidence of it is our record. My freshman and sophomore years, we'd go through bouts of winning and then bouts of losing. There'd be a six-game winning streak versus then a six-game losing streak, so there were really high highs and really low lows.
"This year, we've changed the team chemistry on the court so much we're able to solve issues really quick. When we have a loss, we talk about it in the locker room afterward, get everything out that needs to come out and come in fresh after that. Nothing lingers."
Each of the four, honored during 15th-ranked MSU's annual Senior Day ceremony after Saturday night's victory over Michigan with potentially seven weeks of volleyball remaining, will leave a distinctive mark behind.
Fitterer is second in the Big Ten, arguably the toughest league in the nation this season, with a .408 hitting percentage and Reinig is tied for 12th in conference play with 1.0 blocks per set. Despite injuries that have plagued her career, Christenson is a steadfast inspirational leader and Brashear has been an invaluable addition as a so-called glue player.
"Chloe and Allyssah have started since their freshman year and all of these players have been a big part of the push we've made in the league and nationally over the past four years," says 12th-year head coach Cathy George. "Chloe and Allyssah have been impact players throughout.
"Autumn has had five surgeries, so she's been in and out of things, but the kid has the heart of a lion and is always willing to give you everything she has. If her leg was held together with one string, she'd be doing it. Kristen fit right in from the get-go and has had a tremendous impact on this team and helped stabilize our program in the short time she's been here."
George credits the seniors for their organic approach to team-building.
"A key component of this has been a family feel," she says. "This senior class really wanted to make sure that this year this is how this team operates and that we're always giving everything we have to have the type of season we want.
"It's obvious in the way play this year because this team is very selfless. The whole team understands we're trying to be the best team we can be, first and foremost, and that individuals are secondary. We need to build each other up at all times, and that's been the common thread."
The senior Spartans' goal is to extend it with a long run in the NCAA Tournament and beyond in their personal and professional lives.
With a lot of volleyball left to be played, how the seniors' are still in the process of formulating the ending of their careers.
"You don't necessarily remember all the games, more it's a lot of the stories and crazy things that happen along the way of journey," says Fitterer, who wants to keep playing in Europe as a pro before earning a living in advertising. "When I first got here, I was very raw and did not have a lot of technical skills and my primary goal was just to get better as a volleyball player. I was very shy and found I found it very hard to talk to people. Since then, I've gotten much better at volleyball and over the years have focused more on the relationships around me, making sure everybody has a connection with every player on the team and you are an authentic person.
"If you're not giving them your best and being your authentic best, they can tell that because you're going through everything with them. You're going through the hard times and the good times. This year has been an example of the good times. We're battling every single night and it shows with our record. Our season this year has been focusing on `one more' and not way too far into the future."
No one has had to re-configure her dreams more than Christenson, who was a blue-chip prospect coming out of high school and in a few weeks will booking forward to putting her zoology degree to good use in conservation management.
"I never had that key starting role I initially wanted coming in as a freshman," she says. "I did get some playing time, but my goals had to change. There are so many people who can sit on the sideline, not contribute and just exist, but it was very important to me to still bring my energy and A-game to practice every day because you never know when you name is going to be called.
"Our bench energy has grown tremendously during these four years. It's about knowing you accept your role on the sidelines, but you're not technically satisfied and that you're a lot more than just a player on the team. You have so much more to give even when you're injured."
Reinig hopes to apply her MSU experience to a professional playing career overseas or on the pro beach circuit.
What I would want my legacy to be is that change is good," she says. "When you get into a conference like the Big Ten, you suddenly become a small fish instead of a big fish and you have to adapt if you're going to get what you want out of your four years.
"It took me a little bit to realize that because I had success when I was young, but those were solo accomplishments. When I first came here, I was just a really good volleyball player and really don't think I was the best person with the way I handled a lot of things in my life. Since I've dedicated myself to the program, it's helped more with team accomplishments and that's what I'd want to be known for. I'm a million times happier and get so much more enjoyment out of what I'm doing now."
Brashear, who envisions working in advancement and fund-raising for a university, looks at her short time with the Spartans as a success story.
"Not for me personally but with how Michigan State took me in," she says. "It wasn't my idea to transfer, I had to, and Michigan State has been a blessing. I went through a lot of hard times and adversity while trying to figure out what to do. A year ago, I would say my outlook on transferring was kind of dark. I knew I wanted to keep playing, but I didn't expect it to go this well.
"Ole Miss was a really cool place with a great SEC football program and The Grove, but Michigan State has been just as great for me by showing that anyone can come here and be welcome on this team. We're all working toward the same goal and everyone wants to win. I was really nervous about it, but it's turned out to be awesome."
It's too soon for George to look beyond MSU's next set, but she has few worries about turning Fitterer, Reinig, Christenson and Brashear loose on the real world.
"I'm pleased with the people they are and who they've become," George says. "We've had lots of fun moments and good times together, and some tough times -- playing in the Big Ten is not easy. Thinking back to when they were so young as freshman first getting out on the court to now, it's night and day with how they compose themselves and handle difficulty."
