Digging In: Current Spartans Prep for Life After Volleyball
5/25/2023 2:52:00 PM | Volleyball
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EAST LANSING, Mich. – The spring semester ended, student-athletes departed campus and summer officially started for (most of) the Michigan State student body on May 6, but that doesn't mean Michigan State volleyball's student-athletes haven't continued to grow over the last few weeks.
Juniors Avery Horejsi and Julia Bishop traveled to Detroit for the Michigan State Student-Athlete EXP (Exposure, Expansion, Experience) Tour in Detroit on May 11-13 and junior Aliyah Moore traveled to the University of Southern California for the 2023 Black Student Athlete Summit on May 21-24.
CURRENT SPARTANS MAKE MOST OF NETWORKING OPPORTUNITIES
Horejsi and Bishop Hit the Motor City
Junior defensive specialist Avery Horejsi and junior setter Julia Bishop each participated in the Spartan EXP Tour in Detroit on May 11-13. Spartan student-athletes traveled to Detroit for an opportunity to network with Spartan alums and Spartan-owned businesses throughout the city, even having a chance to get an inside look at the business operations of the Detroit Pistons and Detroit Tigers before taking in a Saturday afternoon Tigers/Mariners game.
"The EXP Tour taught me just how strong the Michigan State alumni network really is," Bishop said. "We had the opportunity to meet with alumni working in different fields to talk, ask questions and even network for internships or jobs. We heard from several speakers about the importance of networking and getting your name out there in the workforce. We toured different companies to see what life is like there and were able to ask questions to their employees. Overall, this was one of the best experiences I have participated in at MSU as it made me think of myself as so much more than just an athlete and helped me start preparing for life after sport."
This weekend-long event provided Bishop and Horejsi an opportunity to build connections with Michigan State alumni and learn about the various industries those alumni work in. The events provided MSU student-athletes with valuable insights into potential career paths and connections that may benefit them in the future as they look to secure full-time careers after graduation.
"The EXP Tour helped build my knowledge of networking and connections beyond college," Horejsi said. "I was challenged and pushed out of my comfort zone, which developed my communication and networking skills. I am so thankful to Michigan State for putting this event together for us."
Moore Makes Most of Black Student Athlete Summit
Junior outside hitter Aliyah Moore recently spent four days in Los Angeles attending the 2023 Black Student Athlete Summit hosted on the campus of future Big Ten foe USC.
Moore was one of 1,400 student-athletes in attendance as the summit included a career combine, corporate recruiting and entertainment events, presentations from thought leaders and engagement activities for Black student-athletes. Speaking sessions featured topics that included mental health, athlete performance, success in life and strategies to help student-athletes to transition out of sport and develop their personal brand.
Aliyah Moore at the 2023 Black Student Athlete Summit
"I am so grateful to have had the opportunity to attend the Black Student Athlete Summit," Moore said. "One thing I can confidently say I learned, is that networking is not what many student-athletes believe it to be. Our generation is constantly told we cannot communicate with each other because of phones or the instant gratification of social media. After attending the summit, I met with hundreds of student-athletes and connected on many different levels. I learned that we have the power and the tools to achieve greatness in whatever path we take in life."
Allyssah Fitterer '17 and Jazmine White '14 to Represent Canada at Volleyball Nations League
Spartan alums are also in the news as Allyssah Fitterer '17 and Jazmine White '14 prepare to represent Team Canada at the 2023 Volleyball Nations League that kicks off May 30 in Antalya, Turkiye. It's the second-straight year that Fitterer and White have teamed up on Team Canada for the VNL. White recently won the 2023 German Cup with SSC Palmberg Schwerin.
The Canadian squad will also play matches in Hong Kong, China (June 13-17) and Bangkok, Thailand (June 27-July 1) as the team continues pool play. Should Canada advance through pool play, the quarterfinals would take place July 12 in Arlington, Texas. Fans can watch streams of the matches on volleyballworld.com.
Olympic qualifiers kick off for Canada on September 16, 2023, in advance of Paris 2024.
Recognitions Pile Up for DeBoer '78
After being named to the Michigan State University Athletics Hall of Fame in 2022 and having her named stamped on the Auto-Owners Insurance Spartan Invitational beginning in 2023, Michigan State volleyball alum Kathy DeBoer '78 added another honor to her mantle on May 22. The International Volleyball Hall of Fame (IVHF) announced that DeBoer will be recognized as the 2023 Mintonette Medallion of Merit recipient.
Created in 1996 and updated in 2023 to honor the original name that volleyball's inventor, William G. Morgan, assigned to the sport which he invented in 1895, the Mintonette Medallion of Merit is awarded in recognition of significant individual achievement and dedication to the sport of volleyball or the International Volleyball Hall of Fame for at least ten years (does not have to be consecutive).
Digging In is a notebook for the Michigan State volleyball program written by assistant director of athletic communications Austin Overmann, who is entering his second season as primary contact for the team.
