Miss Volleyball Finalist Profile: North Branch’s Allyson Severance
North Branch coach Jim Fish knew Allyson Severance was in for a big 2018 season coming into the summer. What he didn’t know was just how much the Broncos would need her. North Branch came into the preseason as one…
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Continue ReadingNorth Branch coach Jim Fish knew Allyson Severance was in for a big 2018 season coming into the summer.
What he didn’t know was just how much the Broncos would need her.
North Branch came into the preseason as one of the Division 2 favorites, but the injury bug hit the Broncos hard with senior hitters Reese Ruhlman and Jordan Slater suffering season-ending injuries. Not one for changing championship goals, Fish and the Broncos knew they would have to turn to Severance even more.
“Our expectations were that we had a good enough team to win a state championship coming into the year and then we had these injuries and we had to really consider what was realistic,” Fish said. “Because of Allyson and her willingness to shoulder the load and to handle so many different aspects of the game, we still feel like our goals are within reach. We haven’t readjusted our goals, just readjusted how we have to approach matches to reach our goal.”
Severance was named a 2018 Miss Volleyball finalist a few weeks ago, joining nine other players from around the state, and her play thus far in the season has definitely merited the honor.
The Miami (Ohio) commit is doing it all for the Broncos when it comes to offense, defense and serving. She is the primary attack for North Branch by a wide margin. In the team’s recent tournament at Mount Morris, Severance had 76 kills while the next-highest total on the team was 10. In a tournament at Bay City Western, she had 73 kills and the next-highest total was 20.
“She was going to be a huge piece of our team and what we wanted to do this year as is. With the injuries, she has to do even more. If she’s not going to get those types of kills, we just aren’t going to win,” Fish said. “I just don’t know of any other player that is going to have to come through at that level like we need her to.”
Severance was a First Team All-State player in 2015 and 2017 while helping lead North Branch to the Class B state championship in 2016. In her junior season, Severance tallied 726 kills, 338 digs, 110 aces and 55 blocks.
While being a Miss Volleyball finalist means a lot to her, Severance has always been focused on the team.
“I was definitely excited, but I tried not to worry about it too much,” Severance said of being named a finalist. “My focus has always been on the team and winning together. When I found out I was a finalist, I was excited, but it’s not something I am going to concern myself with during the season.”
Fish and Severance know a a thing or two about Miss Volleyball winners, as North Branch produced the 2010 winner Jordan Fish and the 2008 winner Olivia Kohler.
“They were more than just good volleyball players, they were also great people,” Severance said of the previous North Branch Miss Volleyball winners. “They did a lot to help the younger girls, including myself and that was something that always stuck with me. They really gave back to the program.”
Severance is trying to do the same through her play on the court and her leadership off the court.
“I just want to be an example on the court,” Severance said. “I don’t just want to say one thing and do another. I want to hold myself accountable and my teammates accountable. If I am not in the right mindset or giving my all, I can’t expect my teammates to do the same.”
Severance hasn’t backed down from her increased role and the pressure to perform that has come with it. Even though opponents know the ball is heading her way, she is still finding ways to finish points.
“She is swinging from all over the court, front and back row in every single position. She is attacking from left back, right back and middle back. She is literally attacking everywhere on the court. She is going against a double block every time and if they are blocking to the right, she is swinging to the left,” Fish said. “She’s working through triple blocks and changing speeds and angles. That is what she is capable of doing. She is willingly taking on this challenge.”
This season may be a lot for Severance to deal with, but she knows that this will help her become a better player in the long run.
“She has embraced the fact that in college she is going to have to attack from the back row and it is going to have to be a lot quicker than what we are doing now, so she understands this is also helping her for the future,” Fish said. “We re-tooled her serve at the beginning of the year because she needs to be more consistent with it. Her mindset is always that she needs to keep getting better. That makes her unique.”
Not one to promote herself, Fish is more than happy to praise his senior captain and Miss Volleyball finalist.
“I know I am biased, but I look at her skill set and what she does in terms of hitting, blocking, passing and serving and I don’t know that there is another kid that could do those things on their own and lead their team to where we hope to go,” Fish said. “If you take Allyson off our team, we are an average team. She is that important. Every player wants those individual recognitions, but Allyson would gladly give them up for a team accomplishment. She is such a pleasure to coach.”