GASTON – Others would likely sugarcoat things, filtering their response to make their friend feel better. That is not Alysa Sutton’s style.
The Wes-Del junior volleyball player has become close friends with senior teammate Kennedy Petro. As such, Petro might ask Sutton’s opinion about a wardrobe or style choice before the pair depart to go somewhere. Petro knows she can count on an honest response.
“She’s like ‘No, you look terrible right now, you definitely need to change that,’ ” Petro said. “I’m like, ‘OK, thank you.'”
Sutton is in the midst of a huge season for the Warriors. The outside hitter has 445 kills, more than double any of the other players on her team’s totals. She also plays six rotations and is second on her team with 321 digs.
She and her teammates will compete for the Class A state championship at 11 a.m. on Saturday with a match against (New Albany) Christian Academy in Worthen Arena.
Petro describes Sutton as having a blunt personality, and it’s not a description Sutton shies away from. Petro reports that when Sutton is not fond of a particular style choice, she will simply let Sutton pick out something for her to wear rather than go through the routine again.
Petro is laughing as she explains this element of her teammate’s personality, and it’s clear she feels the style guidance is coming from a good place.
“I appreciate it, I need someone in my life, like my best friend, to be like that with me, on and off the court,” Petro said. “And that’s what makes us so close, because we’re both pretty blunt, and we both know how to take it.”
If anything, Petro, the Warriors’ setter, said Sutton’s blunt personality is even more present on the court. She’s not afraid to tell Petro about a recent bad set, or to tell her about how her own resourceful play made up for a shortcoming in one of Petro’s sets. Petro said the tactic doesn’t bother her, and that she simply fires right back.
Sutton said her burning desire to win means she’s not afraid to share constructive criticism on the court. But she’s also observant, and has a keen sense of what her teammates respond to. Describing Petro as one of the other blunt players on the team, she takes a direct approach with her setter.
But Sutton can also rattle off a list of her teammates that don’t respond as well to more blunt tactics, and said she takes a more delicate approach when she feels it’s best. She said she’s developed a sense of what style seems to work with each teammate in specific situations.
“If one of them is having a tough game, I’m just like, ‘Hey, clear your head, it’s fine,’ ” Sutton said. “Because it’s really important for our team to be together as a team. And some people need to be encouraged so that they’ll have a better game. And I just think it’s important, I know how all my teammates are, and I know when to pick them up, and when to leave them alone, and when to criticize them, so I think that’s really important.”
Sutton smiles often, and it’s not unusual to see her bouncing around the court talking to various teammates before a match restarts following a timeout or break between sets. She’s often demonstrative in celebrating both her own kills and those of her teammates, her positive emotions easy to spot. She sees her emotional approach as a reflection of her passion for the sport.
That emotional style of play also means errors and other match difficulties can be hard for her to handle, though Warriors coach Biff Wilson cautions that her reactions could sometimes be misunderstood by spectators. She’s worked on her ability to move on after errors, and said she sees herself making strides in that area.
“I have improved greatly in that,” Sutton said. “I used to be not so (good) in that department of my athletic ability. But I think that I’ve actually really improved and I’ve become a better teammate. And I’ve learned to accept what role I need to take in the team and how to be a leader.”
Petro seems to see the same things in her friend that Sutton sees in herself. In discussing Sutton’s impact on her team, it’s clear the junior’s gaudy numbers have helped the Warriors reach the state title match. And the setter has no doubt her teammate has improved in all aspects of the sport. But Petro said Sutton has also made considerable strides in the impact she can make for the team beyond her statistical production, helping boost her teammates’ positive energy.
“She’s become a really good leader this year, she brings a lot of fire and energy to it,” Petro said. “Whenever she gets a kill, she’s fired up, and she gets us all excited, gets us going. Other hitters do too, but she is a real dramatic person, so it definitely brings energy to the court.”
Wilson said it was late last season when he saw that Sutton could be a player that provides a huge boost of positive energy to her teammates. This season, he believes that vision has become a reality.
“We saw her becoming that player who really will start pumping up other players to drive them as she is driven herself,” Wilson said. “She hates to lose, and she doesn’t want others to like it anymore than she does.”
That competitive desire doesn’t seem to be going anywhere. Her blunt personality also appears to be here to stay, especially when she’s around Petro and is confident it will be well-received.
“If I looked bad, I would want someone to tell me I looked bad instead of looking bad all night,” Sutton said. “I don’t like when people lie or talk around what they really mean. I just like being blunt. It’s more honest, I think.”
Contact prep sports reporter Sam Wilson at (765) 213-5807. Follow him on Twitter @SamWilsonTSP.
IHSAA State Volleyball Championships
• Saturday at Worthen Arena
• Class A: Wes-Del vs. (New Albany) Christian Academy, 11 a.m.
• Class 2A: Providence vs. Southwood, 1 p.m.
• Class 3A: Northview vs. Fort Wayne Concordia, 3 p.m.
• Class 4A: Cathedral vs. Carmel, 5 p.m.
