Allyson Severance the latest star under Jim Fish at North Branch
Everyone grows up with dreams and aspirations. In the North Branch community, many young girls dream of the day that they will play for the Broncos volleyball program. North Branch coach Jim Fish has created something more than just an…
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Continue ReadingEveryone grows up with dreams and aspirations.
In the North Branch community, many young girls dream of the day that they will play for the Broncos volleyball program.
North Branch coach Jim Fish has created something more than just an after-school sport and he has developed some tremendous players over his years leading program. The latest in that talent pool is Allyson Severance, a 6-1 class of 2019 outside hitter.
“The volleyball program has always prided itself on a commitment to excellence long before I was there. When you walked into the gym years ago or even today, you see everyone giving their all and everyone working together as a team. You know when you put on that uniform for the first time that you have to be in it for the team and be willing to put in the time and dedication to be part of something special,” Severance said.
“I was always excited to get into high school because I wanted to play for North Branch and Mr. Fish. His coaching has been so helpful for me.”
Severance’s volleyball journey began in first grade when she aspired to follow in the footsteps of her sister, Victoria. Victoria started attending volleyball camps in the fifth grad and Allyson wanted to do everything her big sister did.
Years later, Severance would get to join the North Branch program, which has won three Class B state championships under Fish while finishing runner-up three times as well.
In her first two years of high school, Severance was guided by more than just Fish. The juniors and seniors in program helped guide her along and helped her develop.
As a sophomore, Severance played a contributing role to the 2016 Class B state championship team. She finished her season with 264 kills, 269 digs and 31 blocks for the Broncos.
Graduation departures were a big hit to North Branch entering the 2017 season, but Severance took it upon herself to not let North Branch slip.
“We lost some big hitters from our team and I knew I was going to have to step up and help fill those missing pieces,” Severance, who also plays for the Legacy Volleyball Club, said. “I really put a lot of focus on improving my offensive abilities. That was important to me to be able to try to help us not take a step back in terms of our ability to attack.”
Her efforts showed, as she finished the 2017 season with 726 kills, 338 digs, 110 aces and 55 blocks. She earned First Team All-State honors in Class B, but her real contributions to the team may not be visible in stats.
“To have an opportunity to be a leader to the younger girls was really special to me. I know when I was a freshman how much I was influenced by the juniors and seniors and I wanted to be able to return that to the underclassmen now,” Severance said. “I want to give them the experience that I had and I hope I am able to do that for them.”
North Branch should be a top contender for the Division 2 state championship this year behind the leadership of Severance. No matter what happens, her playing career will continue after this fall. She joins the growing list of Michigan volleyball talent that is opting to play in college of Miami (Ohio).
“Their campus is absolutely beautiful and the coaches were just really amazing and great people. Their program has been getting better and better and I think that is just going to continue,” Severance said of her college pick. “They also have a great academic program, which was important to me as well. It just felt like the perfect fit.”
Even when her days of playing for North Branch are finished, the influence of Jim Fish will stick with her on and off the court.
“He has just always taught us the importance of hard-work, but also being able to have fun at the same time. He has been able to make this team feel like a family and a community. He also does a great job of using volleyball as a teaching skill for all things outside of the court,” Severance said of Fish. “There will be a lot of things in our lives that aren’t volleyball related, but Coach Fish has taught us how to deal with those challenges and how to be better people through our time on the team.”