Four years ago, Bartlett’s Martyna Sowiak couldn’t have predicted this happening.
Sowiak never even played volleyball until she got to high school and didn’t start playing club until the offseason leading up to her sophomore season.
But last week, she committed to play in college at Western Illinois.
“Hard work pays off, that’s all I can say,” Sowiak said. “It was a lot of hard work — a lot of hours pushing yourself. It’s obviously a good outcome.”
The 6-foot-1 senior middle hitter, the oldest daughter of Polish immigrants, will be the first in her family to attend college. It makes the accomplishment all the more exciting for Sowiak.
“Getting a full ride, I’m really excited and happy about that,” Sowiak said. “My parents didn’t have a lot of knowledge about (volleyball) but that made me want to reach my goal even more.”
When Sowiak was going into her sophomore season, Bartlett coach Bob Schwantz knew he had a talented player on his hands. What he didn’t know is if she knew how talented she was.
“I remember her freshman year, even sophomore year, going, ‘Is she going to be a volleyball player? Is she not?” Schwantz said. “There was that question. Last year something turned on, between sophomore and junior year. She just said, ‘I can do this. I’m good at it.’”
When she started playing club at Pipeline, Sowiak’s eyes started to open.
“A coach there saw my potential,” Sowiak said. “He told me he thought I could play volleyball in college. That just sparked something in me and I was like, ‘I’m going to play volleyball in college.’”
That led to a solid junior season for the Hawks. The three-rotation middle hitter put down 145 kills and 80 blocks as a junior and then followed that up with another impressive club season.
“She played really well last year, was a team leader,” Schwantz said. “Now this year, she’s running practice. She’s coming in with practice plans. She’s running the show. That’s what I like.
“I like giving players ownership of the team.”
Senior setter Sarah Savoia Free, who gets her the ball offensively, noticed Sowiak’s transformation on the court.
“Last year and this year, she got so much better,” Free said. “Her play got amazing. It’s crazy, the way she’s able to get to any ball I set her. I could be off and she’s able to get it and get a kill with it.
“She’s smart with her placement. She knows exactly what to do with it no matter what.”
Since Sowiak was late to the sport to begin with, it stands to reason she also was late to the recruiting process. She said she didn’t really start diving into it until last winter. She started seeing her volleyball friends and commitments while she waited and started to get worried.
Then two weeks ago, she visited Western Illinois and fell in love.
“I don’t know how to explain it,” Sowiak said. “It just feels right. I just went there and felt so invited. I just felt at home there. I felt like I was wanted as a player and a person.”
She didn’t leave Macomb with an offer, though. She had to wait a few days for the call.
When the offer came, news spread quickly.
“My mom was eavesdropping by my door when I got the call,” Sowiak said. “She was so excited and screaming. My whole family, everyone is so excited about it.”
Count Schwantz among those excited for Sowiak.
“The ultimate thing is she’s going to keep doing this,” Schwantz said. “She’s going to keep playing. She’s not going to be using her skills in some intramural league. She’s playing at the highest level in college, and that’s what we want.
“We’re just so happy for her.”
Paul Johnson is a freelance reporter for The Beacon-News.
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