SE: Injury Helps Vogel Become Vocal Leader, Fill Needed Role for K-State VB
Aug 10, 2017 | Volleyball, Sports Extra
Normally quiet and reserved, Bryna Vogel, a lead-by-example type, stood on the sideline with her right arm in a sling, watching her teammates do what she could not: play volleyball.
Vogel, an All-Big 12 Second Team selection for K-State last year, sat out the entire spring to recover from a shoulder surgery. It was painful, and not just physically. It was also beneficial, as it would force the Wildcats' only senior out of her comfort zone.
"That was hard," Vogel said. "I didn't get to play all spring, so I had to sit on the sidelines, but I think that helped me with my leadership because I couldn't lead by example, which is what I naturally go to. So I had to use my voice to help my other teammates and try to make them better so the whole team, collectively, would grow."
Every day while she was sidelined, Vogel made it a point to find ways to help her teammates. In a way, she turned into another K-State coach.
"My goal was to ask them each day, 'What do you need from me? What do you want me to watch?'" Vogel said. "They would tell me and I could help them for that particular practice or that week, or with whatever they were working on, and I could help them individually but also help us collectively."
Both Kylee Zumach and Devan Fairfield, two redshirt juniors who came to K-State the same year as Vogel, said they have seen a significant difference in their lone senior's vocal leadership.
"She's always been a super introvert, really in her shell, but this spring she didn't have the opportunity to play and she'd stop practice, go in and talk to one person," Zumach said. "She built those relationships in the spring and I think her leadership excelled 150 percent just because she'd stop and talk to a lot of people and make it a point to make them better."
"She's definitely made a huge improvement as a vocal leader," Fairfield added. "She's stepped up a lot."
With five seniors graduating from last year's team, which hosted the first two rounds of the NCAA Tournament, Fairfield said Vogel has filled an important role for this year's squad.
"She's been the person to slow things down when everything is getting messy and that was a role that we really needed to fill," Fairfield said. "It's huge because almost all of last year's seniors were the people who would be, like, 'Alright, let's bring it in' when things are going bad. We didn't really have anyone coming back that was going to be that person, so it was definitely huge to have Bryna fill that role."
Vogel's growth in leadership came at a trying time. A standout athlete at Clearwater High School, where she became the first athlete chosen to the Wichita Eagle's All-Metro Team in three sports, Vogel had never missed a long period of time from an injury.
"That was my first big injury. I'd had small stuff but nothing where I've been out a whole period of time," she said. "That was definitely challenging, something different from what I've experienced, but it challenged me in good ways, I think."
Fortunately, Vogel said she had plenty of support to make it through the low moments.
"My faith has always been what got me through any hard time in my life. That obviously was the main thing, but my teammates were supportive," Vogel said. "I have a great athletic trainer (Emily Trausch); she was just great helping me through that. My coaches were super supportive; they helped me through that process as well and they spent extra time with me when I wanted to come in and watch film and with things that I could do since I couldn't necessarily play. Everyone was supportive and that helped."
After being released for volleyball activities in May, Vogel had to build herself back up. A six-rotation player who ranked second for the Wildcats in kills, aces, hitting percentage and digs last season, Vogel took a step-by-step process toward regaining the form that earned her Preseason All-Big 12 Team accolades for this season.
"When everybody went home in May, I stayed here and I worked with my athletic trainer and we kind of slowly, gradually built my way back into playing. So when everybody came back in June, I was kind of ready to go," said Vogel. "From the very beginning, it was more of gaining strength and then once I got back to actually playing, it was just breaking the scar tissue up, working through that and just getting back out there and doing what I know how to do.
"It's obviously hard when all you want to do is get out there and play. So I had to channel that desire to get on the court, and now that I can play, not to take any opportunity for granted."
K-State will host Creighton in an exhibition on Friday, August 18, at 6 p.m. The Wildcats' regular season will start with three matches between August 25-26, in Corvallis, Oregon, while their home opener will be against Arkansas on Thursday, August 31.
Season tickets for K-State's entire 12-match home schedule are available now and start at $3 per match. Single-match tickets for the 2017 season are also available, with general admission tickets beginning at $5. To purchase, fans can visit www.kstatesports.com/tickets, call 1-800-221-CATS (2287) or stop by the K-State Ticket Office in Bramlage Coliseum.
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