SIOUX FALLS, S.D. -- Bill Bradley wrote: "leaders should be collaborative, modest and generous."

In those three words, Bradley described senior outside hitter Averey Yaksich of the University of Sioux Falls Volleyball Team.

 

Yaksich, a senior from Omaha, Neb., has a natural ability to lead and is defined by her selfless approach to helping others, said USF Head Volleyball Coach Dan Mathews.

"Averey is a great leader because she leads from the right place.  She never expects other people to satisfy her demands, yet she always looks for ways to serve others," said Mathews, whose team closes the regular season with Senior Day weekend and matches against Bemidji State on Friday and Minnesota Crookston on Saturday. "When someone as selfless as Averey takes a leadership role, people are willing to follow because they know she speaks from a 'team first' perspective," he said.
 
Setting Records – Making an Impact
In the preseason, Yaksich and her fellow seniors (TiaRose Nagami, Kenzie Byers, Marlee Schneider and Krista Goerger), who will be honored on Senior Day this weekend, talked about USF achieving at a high level with the hope of getting to the NSIC Tourney. And now, the team has clinched a winning season and have a shot at the tournament.
 
With Yaksich leading the way, the Cougars have recorded a fifth straight winning season with a 15-11 overall record and 10-8 mark in conference play.  
 
"We had a few mental blocks here or there but overall we are doing very well. I am enjoying it more than I ever have," said Yaksich. "I am hoping that we finish the year strong," said Yaksich, whose USF team has defeated three teams ranked in the top 25, including back-to-back wins over No. 13 SMSU and No. 13 Wayne State at the Stewart Center in the past two weeks. "We have shown great fight. To be successful, you have to have the belief that you can do it," she said.

It has been a special year for Yaksich, who on Thursday was named to the All-NSIC first team at outside hitter. It was her second All-NSIC honor as she was second team in 2018. Plus, the Omaha senior has set game and season records while moving up the all-time charts.
 
This past weekend, she set a new season kills record and sits at 417, moving past former USF standout Makenna Rockeman with 402 in 2016.
 
Yaksich is one of the league's best outside hitters, which is reflected by the fact that she leads the NSIC and ranks fourth nationally in points per set 5.11, total points with 475, total kills with 417, which is fifth in DII; kills/set at 4.48 - seventh in DII. She has 23 matches of double-digit kills this season, including 17 in a row. Plus, Yaksich has recorded 20 kills six times this year.
 
Along the way, she has established a school record for kills in a five-set match with 30 against Grand Valley State and kills in a three set match with 22. In addition, she ranks sixth all-time in career kills with 936, just 32 from 5^th (Jordan Calef, 2013-16, 969). She also ranks third all-time at USF with 2,591 attacks and is sixth all-time with 1,093.5 points.
 
With assist from her dad, Yaksich finds her way
 
For Yaksich, volleyball began when she was in elementary school.
 
"As I grew up, I had fun playing volleyball and continued to play. I found myself progressing and developing into a better player," she said.
 
In the eighth grade, she had a moment when playing volleyball at a higher level (college) may have struck home.
 
"I realized I had a shot at maybe doing something like that," she said.
 
Her helping guide and mentor was her father – Dan – who was her assistant volleyball coach at Concordia High School. With his support and that of her mom, Marybeth, growth happened.
 
"He is really smart – never met anyone who knows the game so much. He and my mom love to watch me play and I really appreciate their love and support," said Yaksich, who led her Concordia High School team to a state runner-up finish as a sophomore and a state title in Nebraska C1 as a senior. Four times, she was named all-state and was regarded as one of the best in the state of Nebraska. Yaksich, who was part of the program's first two times ever at the state tourney, was joined by Nebraska-Omaha setter Sami Clarkston in leading the way to that success.

From there, Yaksich found her way to the University of Sioux Falls.

"I liked how close it was to home so my family could watch. I liked that NSIC was one of the best leagues in the country. Plus, I received a scholarship which was really important," she said.

Adjusting and fighting through two years away from game
In the early part of her career at USF, she had success, earning All-NSIC honors in 2018. Sixteen times that season she had double digit kills and she recorded seven double doubles (kills and digs). In total, she had 298 kills and 237 digs on a team that finished 20-10 (14-6 in league play) and earned a berth in the NSIC Tourney semifinals.

 As she looked ahead, the future was bright for Yaksich as 2019 opened. But early in the season, she was bit by the injury bug which cost her most of that season. Then, she was tested even more when CoVID 19 canceled the 2020 season. It was a long stretch away from competitive volleyball. Yet, Yaksich was focused on returning strong.
 
When the team could finally get back on the floor, there was change in the program with a new coach – Mathews – taking over. And, what he saw in Yaksich was someone with a passion for the game but also a focus on doing what it took to be better.
 
 "Averey is that rare type of person who is genuinely curious about the process of optimal performance," said Mathews. "When we ask Averey to try something different or learn something new, there is very little resistance.  She approaches those situations with an open-mind and a sense of adventure.  This quality allows Averey to immerse herself in the experience of change.  The result is an incredible ability to get better quickly," he added.
 
Numbers reflect the domination she has had in matches this year but doesn't reflect who the senior is and has been for her teammates. She is always focused on improving – each and every day – all the while focusing on helping her team.
 
"It was a very hard year in 2019 when I was hurt. I was frustrated," said Yaksich. "Then 2020 and COVID hit. It was hard because I had spent so much time away but I was motivated despite some fear of not being as good as I wanted to be," said Yaksich. "It was a lot of work to come back after injury and Covid. To get back into the weight room and on the court was everything," she said.

And, like she does with nearly everything she encounters, Yaksich embraced the change and saw opportunity rather than challenge.

"It was very needed to get Coach's system down. We needed that. At first it was difficult switch and now it has helped me and our team. Game has become a lot simpler. To have technique to rely on helped us get through matches. It has helped me. It has helped our team," said Yaksich.

In reality the spring and summer flew by for Yaksich and her teammates. Then the season arrived and the team was focused and ready to play. And they opened strong with a 5-3 nonconference mark before going 10-8 in league play with two matches to go. During their foray through the league, the Cougars faced a crossroads. In a league with as many as seven ranked teams in DII, there was a test every match. And, when they lost consecutive five-setters at home to ranked foes in St. Cloud State and Minnesota Duluth, it opened their eyes while helping the team grow.

"I think those matches gave us confidence that we could compete with the best teams. St. Cloud and Duluth gave us confidence that we can compete with anyone. We can control it, how confident we are that we can beat anyone," said Yaksich.

Team Chemistry spurs growth
Through some tough times and long practice days and weeks, this team formed a bond, Yaksich noted.

"Our chemistry is so good because we all get along off the court and we all have the same goal and we are on the same page with what we want," said Yaksich. "We pick each other up. We play for each other (our saying). It takes the pressure off yourself. I am more excited when my teammates get a huge kill," said Yaksich.

That team-first persona, said Mathews, is what defines Yaksich.
 
"Averey allows each of her teammates to be exactly who they are, where they, right now.  If a teammate is struggling with a skill, she supports them through that process instead of losing patience with them," said Mathews. "If a teammate is struggling to learn, she gives them encouragement instead of disparagement.  If a teammate is having a bad day, she cares about how they are feeling instead of how they are performing.  This is the behavior of someone who values the team's needs ahead of her own," he said. 

As the season draws to a close, Yaksich draws on what a remarkable year it has been. As she rewinds to this past spring when the team was just trying to find their way back to just playing the game they love, it is a experience full of memories. 

"I am enjoying this game more than I ever have," said Yaksich. "I like how we have overcome obstacles together. And, I love this team because we stick together and never quit. We believe in each other. We love each other."