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Soubliere sets her goals high
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Youngstown State senior volleyball player Dani Soubliere (2) is one of the Penguins’ captains this season. She is coaching a club team in the area, which has helped her gain an appreciation for the job new YSU coach Krista Burrows is doing.
By CAITLIN COOK
Special to The Vindicator
YOUNGSTOWN
Growing up in Howell, Mich., Dani Soubliere took up the game of volleyball late, but has made it her passion for the past eight years.
Inspired by her older sister, Soubliere is now a leader for the Youngstown State volleyball team. This year they look to transform the program and head in a positive direction.
Soubliere has a competitive past that drives her on the court. She ran track, competing in both sprint events and the long jump. She also danced, but she eventually chose sports over dance and volleyball over track.
In 2007, her freshman year at YSU, she appeared in 22 matches while starting once. In the spring of her freshman year, Soubliere tore her anterior cruciate ligament in her knee, which allowed her to “watch the game from a different perspective, kind of like a coaching perspective, and learn a lot more about the game,” she said.
After surgery to repair her knee, she received a medical redshirt. Soubliere returned to the court in 2009 with a much bigger impact; she made 11 starts and had 315 assists, six aces, 21 kills, 59 digs and 14 blocks.
Soubliere said her parents have encouraged her to continue playing and she enjoys being with her teammates and competing. She said playing volleyball at YSU has taught her to hang in and push through hard times. She has also learned the value of time management, hard work and accountability.
Soubliere’s teammates will look to her for guidance this year, and she was selected by the coaching staff to be a captain. First-year coach Krista Burrows regards Soubliere as super athletic and a natural leader in the setter position.
Burrows is intent with turning around the program and looks to Soubliere and the other five returners to believe in the change.
“For us, we’re focused on playing better every night out and trying to get better not only as a team but as individuals,” said Burrows.
Soubliere has noticed a big change in accountability and pride already.
The overall commitment level to the program has intensified from her freshman year, from more workouts to a greater focus on outside-of-the-gym success.
For Soubliere, she said she looks to lead by example.
“I think just that being a returner and now captain that I have a lot of the freshmen looking at me as a leader. I have to ignore any pain that I’m going through or if I’m tired just push through it, knowing they’re looking at me.”
Soubliere’s commitment has paid off. This season she has started every match as a setter. She is averaging 6.67 assists per set for the season and 7.36 since Sept. 3.
Burrows knows there is more work to be done and things Soubliere can improve on, but said Soubliere has progressed a lot since January.
“Her location [on the court] has gotten a lot more consistent. She continually works on her defense. I think she is doing a decent job leading for us,” said Burrows.
Soubliere is excited about the new mindset of the program and being involved in the turnaround. She said she is not so worried about herself as much anymore but focusing on her teammates and what they are going through.
Soubliere has a unique perspective on leading her team. She coaches an age-group club volleyball team out of Girard and Poland called Club One.
“I think it’s great for players to coach. It gives them a different perspective of the game and kind of puts them in our shoes,” said Burrows.
Soubliere said she enjoys watching the club team she coaches improve and sharing her knowledge of the game and competitiveness with them.
“We’re always just so close and right there to beating teams,” Soubliere said. “We just haven’t overcome the obstacle of how to win and what it feels like.”
As the season continues, her teammates and coaches will look to her more as the wins become more imperative. Their league record will enable the team to clinch their goal of making it to the Horizon League championships.
“If we start developing a little better, start playing a littler harder, start working a little harder, the wins will come,” Burrows said.
Caitlin Cook is a senior journalism major at Youngstown State who is an intern in the sports information office. She is also a member of the women’s swim team.