Aug. 13, 2009

Contact: Martin Rickman

The great teams are made up of players who never quit, and perhaps the best example on the Cleveland State women's volleyball team of this is fifth-year senior Liz Fazio.

Fazio, who lettered in three sports in high school--volleyball, basketball and track and field, used those experiences to always try to improve her game.

"Basketball helped me stay in shape," Fazio said. "I love basketball and I would come in every day and try to get better and that took me into volleyball. Track made me a better athlete in general, just things like running and jumping that you think are so easy, but there's form to it and things you have to learn like landing."

Good form is always important, but even more so to Fazio, who has been riddled with knee injuries in her time at CSU. She redshirted her freshman year in 2005 and has continued to battle ever since.

"My tendons are deteriorating and are torn in small areas," Fazio said, "so in the summer I find out how much I can work without having too much pain so I can play through it.

"Hopefully by the time fall comes I can take however many days off I need and jump however many jumps I can work with and still be able to play."

Fazio's impeccable work ethic has carried over into the classroom--she was voted to the Academic All-Horizon League team from 2006-2008. She shines on the court too, continuing to develop every year.

"The biggest thing Liz has gotten better at is her leadership," Head Coach Chuck Voss said. "She has become a great leader for us this year; her communication skills have really improved. She's learned to do more for her teammates which has made her a special player for us."

This season could be a memorable one as the Vikings return 11 players and three seniors. Coach Voss also believes the six new freshmen could make an instant impact. For a team one match away from a second consecutive NCAA Tournament appearance, the leadership of players like Fazio will be pivotal in the team's success.

"My main focus is to encourage the young girls and make them feel welcome here," Fazio said. "The older girls, I hope to enforce them and make sure they are doing what they are supposed to every day and keep them from slacking off. I want to make sure the team meshes together."

Fazio never gets down because of her injuries. While most college kids are studying and taking time for themselves in their free time, Fazio is going to physical therapy. She has used her time on the sidelines to see the court in a different way, from the outside looking in.

Even more importantly, she knows her limits. She instituted a new routine in the summer by keeping track of her jumps and Coach Voss believes that Fazio is more in tune with her body.

"She looks like she's in great shape," Voss said. "Over the last two years, she's learned how her knees feel from the previous practice or whether she needs to take it easy a little bit.

"We have an understanding that she just needs to tell me prior to, `Hey I can't do much jumping this practice, or hey, I feel great and I'm ready to go.' We have really good trust."

As an outside hitter, Fazio keeps the team grounded and allows the team to rotate on the floor. She had 11 kills in the Horizon League Final loss to UW-Milwaukee and 12 kills in the semifinal match against Valpo. Fazio is just 151 kills away from 1,000, and if she has anything to do with it, her knee problems are not going to keep her from getting to that milestone.

"I think injuries have made me a tougher person in general," Fazio said. "You have to deal with that pain and find ways to manage it, so you have to work around that and figure things out.

"You realize in volleyball that you jump so much every day and you realize that it isn't easy on your body. Being an elite athlete is not as easy as you think."

Fazio wouldn't have it any other way. Working hard comes second nature to her, and that commitment is contagious. It doesn't hurt that she is surrounded by a team dedicated to working hard to hopefully bring another Horizon League Championship to Cleveland State. And they'll get there one jump at a time.