For senior outside hitter Amelia Anderson, senior defensive specialist Kyndall Merritt and junior setter Megan Tallman, going into the gym on Mondays is an entirely different story.
These three players, in conjunction with IU Coach Sherry Dunbar-Kruzan and senior defensive specialist Courtney Harnish, form IU volleyball’s leadership council.
“We’re all upperclassmen,” Anderson said. “Yes, we have that role of upperclassmen, of helping everybody out, but we also have that extra leadership role that puts good pressure on us and gives us the chance to better ourselves.”
Every semester the entirety of the volleyball team selects the players they want to have leadership council positions.
At each meeting, the members, who all play different roles within the council, come into the meetings and discuss each person’s individual responsibilities. From there, they deliver any issues, concerns or specifics to Harnish, who then delivers the information to Dunbar-Kruzan. After receiving all of those, Dunbar-Kruzan will meet with the council and cover things she sees as important.
Although the council is only two years old, it oversees important weekly aspects for the Hoosiers.
Anderson is in charge of community service for the team.
She said she helps to find ways for the Hoosiers to be actively involved in the Bloomington community, such as the Boys and Girls Club and Meadowood Senior Living Center.
“I’ve known those kids for three years,” Anderson said. “They come to our games, and it’s a fun way to give back to the community. They also really look up to us as role models, so I think they enjoy it just as much as we do.”
Merritt is in charge of day-to-day volleyball responsibilities, such as packing, schedules and open gyms.
Tallman’s responsibilities include academics. She makes sure the team has tutors when needed and every player’s grades are up to standard.
“I think it’s a great leadership opportunity,” Tallman said. “Being a setter, I think it’s important for me to be held at a higher standard because I’m in charge of running the offense. Trust is really big in that position between the defense, and so I like being given the opportunity to continue that respect with the team.”
Together the three players are in charge of health and wellness, where they oversee dietary necessities and exercise.
The council also helps to ensure the team stays cohesive throughout the season.
“It’s really just to make sure the whole team is on the same page and that we’re all going for the same goal,” Tallman said. “The season gets long, tough losses come, and we need to make sure the team stays together.”
Tallman and Anderson both enjoy being a part of the council, but they said that it also presents many challenges and some uncomfortable situations such as punishments when the council deems they are needed.
“Sometimes we forget things on trips,” Tallman said. “We have a very specific packing schedule, and if someone brings the wrong t-shirt, then there usually is a punishment doled out. It’s hard to deal with those things because they’re such little things. Of course every team is going to have their difficulties, but it’s better to talk through it than just to let it sit there. So we put an end to the little things before they have a chance to become big things.”
For Anderson and Tallman, they said they think being in these leadership positions helps by eliminating power struggles, as the council allows players to voice their opinions and concerns. The council then takes those concerns and finds a solution to them if they think necessary.
Overall, both Anderson and Tallman said having these individual roles benefits the team most.
Just last year the volleyball team won the community service award for all 24 IU varsity sports.
“That was huge,” Anderson said. “We put a ton of hours, and I work a lot with our director of operations, Shane, just figuring out community service opportunities for us to do. The team really gets into it in the spring. So that was a big thing for us to win, but all of us just having our individual roles gives us a better lead into the team. We feel more responsible for the program.”
Anderson and Tallman said they are both grateful for the opportunity to be on the council and it allowed them to be self-reflective, bettering themselves with the team every day.
Both members continue to look for ways to make the council better, primarily figuring out leadership roles once the seniors graduate in the spring.
“Yes, it helps us with volleyball, and yes, it helps us on and off the court, but it also prepares us,” Anderson said. “Being a senior, I have to look ahead. It does prepare me to hold myself to a higher standard once I get into the workforce. I think that’s a really positive point of the council. I want to lead by example and see the next girls on the leadership council really do that.”
