At the beginning of this season, Michigan
volleyball coach Mark Rosen announced his team’s
near-unanimous decision for its captains. Fifth-year senior Sarah
Allen listened, not expecting to be one of the two names
called.

Sitting next to Allen, fifth-year senior Lisa Gamalski —
one of the team’s most vocal leaders — seemed like an
obvious choice. So did the team’s other senior, Jennifer
Gandolph — Michigan’s all-time leader in kills, digs
and attempts.

But to Allen’s surprise, it was her name along with
Gamalski’s that Rosen called. And looking at Allen’s
development in the Michigan program over the past five seasons, no
one deserved the honor more.

A walk-on who earned her way to a scholarship, Allen epitomizes
hard work and determination, with “the best go-get-it work
ethic” on the team, according to Gamalski. That work ethic
has enabled Allen to become one of Michigan’s most consistent
and respected players.

Rosen still remembers the exact place on Penn State’s Rec
Hall floor where he was standing when Allen gave him a videotape of
her playing volleyball. The summer before her senior year of high
school, Allen had attended the volleyball camp Rosen and his wife,
Michigan associate head coach Leisa Rosen, conducted at
Michigan.

Rosen noticed Allen immediately.

“She was just a neat kid,” Rosen said. “I just
liked her personality. And right off the bat, you could see she was
ripped — physically, a real strong kid with a lot of
definition — and a good competitor.”

Just before Michigan traveled to Penn State for a match in 1999,
Allen called Rosen and asked if she could bring him the tape.
Recognizing her as “that kid” from camp, Rosen told
Allen that her attitude would be a great fit for his program. But
Allen — who had been a setter and always played on the right
side — would have to walk on and probably train as a back-row
player.

Even though there were no guarantees, Allen just wanted to play
and came to Michigan focused on getting better. But it wasn’t
easy — she had passed “maybe fifty” balls in high
school and had to quickly learn how to pass at the Division I
level.

“When she came in, we really didn’t know what her
role was going to be,” Rosen said. “But she developed
as a passer and as a defensive player, and I’ve had very few
players in my career that learn those skills. Those are usually
skills that they come in with. She’s really learned (to be) a
ball control player, which is rare.”

Unlike most Michigan volleyball players, Allen was not a
Volleyball Magazine “Fab Fifty” selection or a top-100
recruit. The Mechanicsburg, Penn. native had always been active
— a gymnast and dancer for 10 years — but she
didn’t start playing volleyball until high school. Allen
wasn’t as polished or experienced as everyone else on the
team, and redshirted her freshman year at Michigan. As a result,
Allen was a target and often left practice feeling discouraged.

“The personality of the team then was very different than
it is now,” Allen said. “I don’t like to say it
this way, but if you weren’t very good, (some of the players)
didn’t really accept you.”

But there were two seniors — Alija Pittenger and Shawna
Olson — who did accept Allen and took her under their
collective wing, helping her get through practice and inviting her
to hang out afterward. Their friendship eased Allen’s
transition, but it wasn’t until individual workouts in the
spring that she really felt part of the team. During the 2000
season, the focus was on the core group of players — Allen
practiced, but didn’t receive the one-on-one attention she
needed. In the spring, the coaches divided the team into small
groups and gave every player lots of repetitions. That instruction
— and being able to play in the following preseason —
was a “huge turning point” for Allen.

“I don’t think I even thought I could make an impact
before then,” Allen said.

In 2002, the NCAA adopted the libero position based on
international rules. The libero is primarily a defensive player,
who digs the ball and then directs the front line as to where the
ball should go. Like an offensive lineman in football or a catcher
in baseball, the libero makes sure everything runs smoothly, but
tends to go unnoticed unless she makes a mistake.