FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. – They do not dominate the highlights, nor have eye-popping statistics, but there is more to this year's Northern Arizona volleyball senior class than the general public will ever know. It is a unique group of three seniors, who are far from NAU headliners, yet their importance to the program goes beyond the numbers.
On Saturday,
Emma Grimsrud,
Brooke Donnelly and
Dani Westfall will be honored on Senior Day – their final home match in the Rolle Activity Center – versus Southern Utah at 1 p.m.
Their paths to NAU have been as unique as their careers, making this senior class even more fascinating.
For Grimsrud, her story goes back to her junior year at Lumsden High School. There, she was recruited by head coach
Ken Murphy while he was still the head coach at UTEP. His interest in her never wavered, even after he made the move to Northern Arizona, and Grimsrud was a part of his first-ever recruiting class.
Grimsrud spent her first year on campus, in the United States nonetheless, as a redshirt. Since then, the middle blocker turned right side hitter from Regina Beach, Saskatchewan, has played sparingly across 15 career matches. However, the only four-year senior in this class has remained positive.
"In the last four years, I've been lucky enough to almost go undefeated and win the Big Sky; we've finished second and third and this year we've faced more adversity," Grimsrud said. "That's really rare and cool that I've been able to experience and learn from all of those situations. Looking back on my college career, the volleyball has become such a small part in the big picture of all the things I've learned. Even though I haven't had a highlight career, I wouldn't change anything. I love NAU and I love my teammates, and I've improved so much as an athlete."
During NAU's 2015 Big Sky Championship season, Grimsrud made three starts, including in the season-opening victory against Lehigh in her first career match. That same season, she had her finest blocking match against Southern Utah, recording six blocks in the match. This season, Grimsrud totaled both of her season kills against Eastern Washington.
One of the Lumberjacks' greatest leaders on and off the court, Grimsrud has earned three Golden Eagle Scholar-Athlete awards for her outstanding academic work and has already locked up an internship with the Arizona Department of Public Safety crime lab in Flagstaff for the upcoming spring semester.
"Being a student-athlete, I've acquired so many skills and I've grown so much as a person through collegiate sports," Grimsrud said. "I've learned how to set goals for myself and how to achieve them. I could go on forever about how I've grown through this experience."
Then there is Donnelly, who even as a two-year player has left an imprint on Lumberjack fans' hearts due to her hustle – a quality that is important to herself as an athlete.
Her diving plays and her penchant for digging rockets off an opponent's swing has been an endearing, and appreciative, strength in helping the Lumberjacks to 34 victories to date since her arrival. Not that it should come as a surprise considering that Donnelly averaged 4.59 digs per set during her final season at Yavapai College, helping the team earn their first-ever NJCAA Division I National Championship tournament appearance.
"It's been really rewarding and fun," Donnelly said. "I've been able to learn a lot of things. I'm going to miss all of the experiences; the practices and of course my teammates."
The defensive specialist out of Costa Mesa, Calif. made an immediate impact last season – her first at NAU – as she was one of three 'Jacks to start all 32 matches. She ranked fifth on the team with 260 digs and 2.20 per set before opening her senior campaign as NAU's libero. This season, her 4.18 digs per set average leads the squad.
While her playing time has decreased as the season has progressed, her standout moments loom large. There was her 26 dig performance last season, which still stands as her career-high on the road at Portland State in a critical five-set victory, as well as three 20-dig matches this season. One in particular came in a swift sweep against Valparaiso, a match in which she also logged a career-high five aces.
"I learned that I'm capable of so much more than I ever thought I could achieve," Donnelly said. "The ups and downs have helped me grow as a person beyond volleyball. I've built relationships with my teammates and the fun matches we've had, including the trip to Hawaii, are things I'll never forget."
Donnelly's career seems like a lifetime when compared to Westfall's lone season at NAU. The Phoenix native, who transferred into the Lumberjack volleyball program this past spring, spent her first three seasons away from home at Wyoming. While her time as a Lumberjack has been brief, it was well worth it for Westfall.
"It's meant a lot to me and it's been awesome to be right up the hill, two hours from home," Westfall said. "It's been great to have my parents right around the corner and they love being able to come see me play. After so many years of them supporting me, it really means a lot to look up in the stands and seeing them. Moving to NAU also allowed me to live with my sister, and her support has been awesome."
Her collegiate career has been filled with trials and tribulations. A three-year letterwinner at Wyoming, Westfall appeared in just 32 matches over her three seasons in Laramie while also missing most of her sophomore season with an injury.
Looking for a fresh start, Westfall has gotten that this season at Northern Arizona, although it has not gone quite according to plan. A natural setter, the Lumberjacks had plans of running a 6-2 rotation with her splitting time with sophomore
Abby Stomp, but an injury right before the start of the season threw a wrench into the equation. The experiment did not last long, forcing Westfall into a defensive specialist role.
She has thrived though, overcoming another set of obstacles to play in 24 of 26 matches thus far with six starts. Her 192 total digs are fifth-most on the Lumberjacks this season, and she was spectacular in helping NAU hand Sacramento State its only Big Sky loss with a season-best 19 digs.
"It was a little intimidating at first, but the whole team including the coaches have been super inviting since the beginning," Westfall said. "I've had a lot of fun getting to know the girls and I hope to continue my relationships with them after the season ends. All in all, it's been awesome and I'll miss being with this great group of girls on the court every day."
All three seniors are on track to graduate in May. Grimsrud will graduate with her degree in chemistry with an emphasis in forensics and criminalistics and a minor in criminal justice while Donnelly and Westfall will earn their degrees in public health.
Below are head coach
Ken Murphy's thoughts on each of his three seniors.
Emma Grimsrud: "Emma is really one of the unsung heroes of our team. She's one of our best leaders, and she most consistently promotes the values of high achievement that we hold so strongly in our program. In everything she does, she's a high achiever."
Brooke Donnelly: "Brooke has meant a lot to our program over the last two years. She's such a great defender and teammate, and she's one of those players who seems to make a difference-making type of play when she's in the match. When the team needs to change the momentum, she has a knack for lifting our team up and we'll always appreciate that about her."
Dani Westfall: "We were so lucky to have Dani come in for her senior year and bring leadership and maturity to our young group. We've asked her to fill a lot of different roles during the spring and the fall, and every time she's been willing to contribute in any way possible. Even though it's been a short amount of time, we've appreciated having her be a part of our program."
