Versatile volleyball player strives for success

Dewitz, her teammates and coach Katie Weismiller don't know exactly how much action Dewitz will see on any particular night, if she plays at all. \nDewitz's time between the lines has no set schedule, no pattern, no rhythm. \nOne minute, she's a role player. The next, she's a star. The next, she gazes from the sidelines.\nThe 6-foot-1 middle blocker has played in 64 games this season; seven fellow Hoosiers have seen as much or more of the floor than Dewitz. She began the season consistently starting. Now, she serves primarily as the first, second or third woman off the bench. She's become part of the supporting cast. \n"At the beginning of the year, I wanted to be a dominating force," Dewitz said. "It's whoever gets the job done (that gets the playing time). But, I'm always fighting, too."\nDewitz continues to grapple for prime time court appearances, but her career in Bloomington has helped her become callous toward points, games and matches on the bench. At Springfield High School in Toledo, Ohio, she also played basketball and a season on the boys' tennis squad, earning all-league honors at No. 2 singles. After setting four volleyball school records and being named Gatorade Ohio Player of the Year, Dewitz turned down offers from Ohio State, Purdue and Michigan, instead turning to IU. But the standout statistics haven't come so steadily in college. \nDewitz played in only 29 games as a freshman, 22 her sophomore season and a career-low 18 last year. 1999 graduates Cydryce Carter and Jill Mudge manned the middle for the Hoosiers, pushing Dewitz toward the bench. \nAn explosive spring season helped Dewitz play herself into the lineup, but the emergence of freshman Monique Pritz and the inconsistency from the Hoosiers in the win column impeded her status. Now, whether she plays depends on how the Hoosiers are playing, the opponents' strengths and who is better suited to suit up. The indecisiveness of Weismiller has resulted in friendly competition.\n"She knows, on any given day, her position can change," Weismiller said of Dewitz. "Sometimes, we don't know who will start until the end of the week, but she's making the most of it."\nPritz brings a more powerful arm and better blocking to the court, Weismiller said, while Dewitz features a quicker, more offensive-oriented game. The combination of Pritz and Dewitz plays into Weismiller's hands, helping her flip-flop her lineup to better combat the counterparts. \nIf Dewitz doesn't capture the respect of foes, she's certainly done so from teammates. Senior Amanda Welter said Dewitz remains upbeat and positive. \n"She's in a tough role," said Welter, who said she expected Dewitz to get more match time before the season began. "But, she's never given up, and she's never down. I'm sure she's not real happy (with her playing time), but she's never showed it."\nDewitz admitted that the lack of playing time does sting, but she said she doesn't regret choosing IU over Ohio State, which sits in third place in the Big Ten and inside the top 10 in the latest national rankings. She hasn't begun to ponder her career, which is slowly winding down; only six more matches remain for Dewitz, pending a post-season appearance. \nBut within those six matches, Dewitz will likely surpass the career statistics she racked up in her first three years for the Hoosiers. She's tripled her kill and block totals, boosted her hitting percentage and said she doesn't need those six games to justify that she belongs on the court. She's already done that, whether she plays a starring role or not. \n"I think I've proven myself," she said. "It's discouraging in some ways, but I feel like something changes and it's not positive for me, I'm just going to work harder to prove that I should be out there. It gives me an incentive"