Backup Aliah Bowllan recovers from injury and preps to become Syracuse volleyball’s next libero

Aliah Bowllan might be the smallest player on the team, but she is one of the most visible. With her low stance and waving arm motion, she is recognizable from afar in the backcourt.

But before she could get on the court, she watched from the sidelines while recovering from a preseason wrist injury.

“I’ve just been getting back into the groove of things,” Bowllan said. “ …(The goal) is to get used to playing at a college level (as) it’s definitely a lot harder than what we are used to as freshmen.”

Her first game came against Northwestern on Sept. 16 in the Northern Iowa Tournament. And while Syracuse lost against the Wildcats and the following two games against Illinois State and Northern Iowa, head coach Leonid Yelin was pleased with what he saw from the freshman.

As Syracuse (2-10, 1-1 Atlantic Coast) tries to pick up a win at No. 15 Florida State (9-2, 2-0) and Miami (6-8, 0-2) in its first ACC road trip this weekend, Bowllan hopes to continue her development as the next libero for the team. She’s taken cues from starting libero Belle Sand to adjust at Syracuse.

“It’s pretty much what we expected from her,” Yelin said. “From the time we were recruiting her, we (knew) her strengths and we knew that she was a good defensive player.”

Bowllan was recruited from Pittsford Sutherland (New York) High School. SU relied on sophomore Santita Ebangwese to give a scouting report on what the five-year libero would bring to the team. Ebangwese played at Pittsford Sutherland with Bowllan.

But the injury forced her to observe her teammates’ tendencies. She slowly rehabbed the injury by practicing footwork without a ball to get back on the court as fast as possible.

When she got back on the court, the team saw a short, quick-footed player who was not afraid to sacrifice her body for the next point, dig or pass.

With her first extended playing time this past weekend against Boston College and North Carolina State, Bowllan showed signs of potential. She was consistently diving for balls, communicating with her teammates on defense and served the ball well.

She developed a chemistry with fellow libero Belle Sand. The latter helps calm Bowllan if she makes mistakes, teaches the freshman techniques and tells Bowllan spots to be on the court. Both say the bond has helped them become better.

Bowllan has learned to properly pass and move the ball through the offense from Sand and their relationship has helped Bowllan adjust to the game’s speed.

“(Sand) is a really good player, a really good inspiration,” Bowllan said.

In the second set against N.C. State, Bowllan subbed in for Syracuse. Midway through the frame, Sand and Bowllan ran into each other after the ball was served. The play forced another Syracuse player to make a play on the ball, as it caromed out of bounds. Sand had to make an out-of-bounds save, but SU lost the point.

After the play, Sand pointed out where Bowllan needed to be. While Bowllan has had typical freshman ups and downs, she’s shown flashes of what she can do in the future.

“(I see) complete potential,” Sand said. “I see a girl that I know is going to be able to fill my shoes when I leave. I see the potential to be amazing ACC material … the work ethic is there and she wants to be it, and I know she wants to be it.”