USA Standout Skilled for Every Season
By
Paul Costanzo
Special for MHSAA.com
December 28, 2018
Rylee Zimmer lightened her winter workload during her sophomore year, taking the basketball season off to focus more on volleyball.
It turned out to be a short-term move.
“I could make it to some of the games still, because I wasn’t quite as busy,” the Unionville-Sebewaing senior said. “But when I watched them play, I missed it, so I came back to play.”
Zimmer has finished her high school volleyball career and signed to continue playing the sport at Saginaw Valley State University. But her days as a Patriot are not over, as she is currently playing basketball, and in the spring will come back to her familiar spot on the softball diamond, where she is a returning all-state selection as a shortstop.
“I actually think (playing three sports) does help me,” Zimmer said. “Like in basketball, we’re working on jumping and we run a lot. It keeps me more in shape.”
It’s no secret, however, that volleyball is No. 1 for Zimmer. She plays for the Five:1 club during the winter and spring, and is currently balancing school, the club and basketball season. Sub out softball for basketball, and you have her spring schedule.
“Actually, it works out pretty good, because for girls basketball, we play on Tuesdays and Thursdays, and I have practice on Monday and Wednesday,” she said. “After basketball and softball practices, I drive to Clio and practice until 9 at night. I don’t have much downtime.”
Zimmer was a four-year starter for the Patriots volleyball team, and this fall she led the team to its first MHSAA Finals appearance – where it fell to four-time reigning champion Bronson in the Division 3 title match.
“When we were in eighth grade, when Erica Treiber (a volleyball All-American at Tennessee) was on the team, we went to Battle Creek with my family (for the Semifinals), and I never thought I’d be able to make it there,” Zimmer said. “This year, my senior year, when we started playing I thought, ‘This team is pretty good and can make it pretty far.’ It was so exciting to be able to make it to the last game of the season.”
On the season, Zimmer finished with 828 kills, 630 service receptions, 537 digs, 132 total blocks and 41 aces. It was her second straight season with more than 800 kills, and she finished her career with 2,332. Her career kill percentage was .374.
“Rylee is just an athletic player,” USA coach Teresa Rose said. “Last year, she was a captain, but this year she was a little more of a vocal captain. She never wanted to step on the seniors’ toes when she was only a junior. She’s very knowledgeable. She plays club at Five:1, she plays basketball, she plays softball – she's constantly doing something. Girls that only play one sport, they’re playing club, too, but they’re not using those other muscles you do while doing those other things. I think that really helps her be strong.”
Zimmer committed to Saginaw Valley late in her junior year, and signed during the early signing period in November. She said that playing at the next level was something she had dreamed of and thought could be a reality since she was moved up to varsity for volleyball as a freshman.
While playing three sports through high school has helped make her a better all-around athlete, she is looking forward to focusing on a single sport in college.
Rose also is excited to see what Zimmer can do at the next level.
“I’ve seen her play at this level, and she’s a standout,” Rose said. “To see her at the next level when she’s playing with everybody that’s that good, I can’t wait to watch her. Seeing her play with girls at the college level that are all volleyball players – that's all they’re doing – I think you’re going to see her be even more explosive than what she was this year.”
Before she moves on, however, Zimmer has more to do at USA. While the Patriots are 2-3 to start this season on the court, last winter Zimmer averaged 13.6 points and 9.8 rebounds per game to lead the team to the Class C Regional Final.
The USA softball team was a Division 4 semifinalist a year ago, with Zimmer playing a big part. She hit .445 in 38 games, with 27 extra-base hits (14 doubles, 11 triples, two home runs), 41 RBI and 53 runs scored. She has a career batting average of .429.
“I’m just excited to have fun and have one last year with the people I’ve always played with,” she said. “I’m excited to have one last season with them.”
Paul Costanzo served as a sportswriter at The Port Huron Times Herald from 2006-15, including three years as lead sportswriter, and prior to that as sports editor at the Hillsdale Daily News from 2005-06. He can be reached at [email protected] with story ideas for Genesee, Lapeer, St. Clair, Sanilac, Huron, Tuscola, Saginaw, Bay, Arenac, Midland and Gladwin counties.
PHOTOS: (Top) Clockwise from left, USA’s Rylee Zimmer spikes during this fall’s Division 3 Volleyball Final, Zimmer throws to first during last spring’s Division 4 Softball Semifinals and works for position in the post during a Class C Basketball District game. (Middle) Zimmer (4) celebrates her team’s Volleyball Semifinal win with her teammates. (Volleyball and softball photos by Hockey Weekly Action Photos; basketball photo by Varsity Monthly.)
Performance: Novi's Ally Cummings
November 23, 2016
Ally Cummings
Novi senior - Volleyball
As the lone four-year varsity player on Class A champion Novi's roster, the 5-foot-11 Cummings has played a special role in helping the program rise to elite. Cummings – the Wildcats' right-side hitter and the state's Miss Volleyball Award runner-up this fall – finished a memorable high school career by leading Novi to a second straight Class A title last week to earn the Michigan National Guard's "Performance of the Week."
Cummings chipped in eight kills and nine digs in Tuesday's Quarterfinal win over Bloomfield Hills Marian, then led the team with 13 digs (to go with 15 kills) in the Semifinal sweep of Fenton. She finished with 10 kills, 14 digs and four blocks in a 3-1 win over Rockford in Saturday's Final; the Rams took only one of seven sets given up by Novi this season, and Cummings had four kills and all four of her blocks over the final two sets as the Wildcats pulled away. All three matches exemplified how Cummings has worked to become an all-around player, while remaining the threat who, as coach Jennifer Cottrill explained, doesn't allow teams to defend only one side of the court because if they do, "she will terminate" from the right.
In addition to the two Class A titles and 54-1 record this fall, Novi also finished Finals runner-up in 2014 and finished a combined 198-20 during Cummings' four years on varsity. She had 510 kills on a .346 attack percentage, plus 317 digs and 59 blocks this season, and finished with 1,042 kills, 183 blocks and 628 digs over her career. Cummings played club with five of this year's other Miss Volleyball finalists and finished runner-up for the award to Corunna's Meredith Norris, coming in second by only one vote. Also an academic all-state selection with a 3.8 grade-point average, Cummings will study psychology and continue her volleyball career next season at Valparaiso University.
Coach Jennifer Cottrill said: “The first couple of years I was here (2012 and 2013), we lost to Northville in the District Finals and never advanced past that in the postseason, and Ally was around for that – she’s the only one that was, and as we wanted to change that, she was the voice of change for us. … She’s always played so well in Battle Creek, all three of her years that we were there. Last night at our banquet, (I said) that’s where she eats pressure for breakfast. It doesn’t faze her. Other players, you see them run around the court, they’re nervous and do things that are uncharacteristic to the norm. But not Ally. She’s so solid in pressure situations.”
Performance Point: “My role was just to play consistently and help everyone to stay calm during stressful moments – be someone in pressure situations who could put the kill down, but mostly just to stay consistent the whole game. We have to make sure we stay in the game, don’t think too far ahead, and if we’re down, work point by point and get down the deficit. I think the whole time, for the most part, we were pretty calm during the games. They were all super-duper tight games, and we hadn’t had anything like that during the season.”
Lasting legacy: “I just hope they can think of me as a really good friend on the team. Not so much how I played during these years, just think ‘she’s such a good captain,’ that I had a good positive attitude and that I was able to be someone they can talk to. When we started this season, we all had roles as captains, and mine was to stay consistent and lead by example. Throughout the year, I think all of our captains accomplished what we set out to do.”
Quite a ride: “Playing on the team the last four years, I think I’ve really gotten better staying mentally strong during the game. There definitely were games I just played awful, but you’ve got to get back up, go to practice and get ready to get better again so the next game you can play better. … It feels so long ago; freshman year was the last year we lost in the first round, in Districts, and every year since we went to Battle Creek. We did a lot of team-building activities, working on our chemistry (after freshman year), and when we came in sophomore year, we were all already family on that team. … My senior year, I can definitely look back and think it was a successful one. It’s not really about me individually, but our team played so well together. For my senior year, to know the team played as well as possible, it’s an amazing feeling.”
It’s an honor: “I’m just so proud that I was able to come so close to winning (Miss Volleyball) against such amazing athletes in that kind of race. Being able to play with five of the other candidates, that makes the perspective bigger. They’re just great people and athletes, and to be able to come in second in that, it’s insane to me.”
Ready to help: “I’ve just always wanted to help people, and I know psychology, and working with kids, is something I wanted to do as well. I wanted to have a profession where I could help people out, and maybe with sports psychology so I can continue in the athletic area working with kids and athletic people. Growing up, you should always have a good support system, because that’s how you’ll act the rest of your life – how you’re taught as a kid. I want to have that positive influence.”
- Geoff Kimmerly, Second Half editor
Every week during the 2016-17 school year, Second Half and the Michigan National Guard will recognize a “Performance of the Week" from among the MHSAA's 750 member high schools.
The Michigan Army National Guard provides trained and ready forces in support of the National Military Strategy, and responds as needed to state, local, and regional emergencies to ensure peace, order, and public safety. The Guard adds value to our communities through continuous interaction. National Guard soldiers are part of the local community. Guardsmen typically train one weekend per month and two weeks in the summer. This training maintains readiness when needed, be it either to defend our nation's freedom or protect lives and property of Michigan citizens during a local natural disaster.
Previous 2016-17 honorees:
Nov. 17: Chloe Idoni, Fenton volleyball – Read
Nov. 10: Adelyn Ackley, Hart cross country – Read
Nov. 3: Casey Kirkbride, Mattawan soccer – Read
Oct. 27: Colton Yesney, Negaunee cross country – Read
Oct. 20: Varun Shanker, Midland Dow tennis – Read
Oct. 13: Anne Forsyth, Ann Arbor Pioneer cross country – Read
Oct. 6: Shuaib Aljabaly, Coldwater cross country – Read
Sept. 29: Taylor Seaman, Brighton swimming & diving – Read
Sept. 22: Maggie Farrell, Battle Creek Lakeview cross country – Read
Sept. 15: Franki Strefling, Buchanan volleyball – Read
Sept. 8: Noah Jacobs, Corunna cross country – Read
PHOTOS: (Top) Novi's Ally Cummings follows through on a kill attempt during Saturday's Class A Final win against Rockford. (Middle) Cummings takes her turn serving against the Rams.