2024 SVM Volley Ball Gamer of the Year: Sterling’s Delali Amankwa
Sterling senior Delali Amankwa resembled a 2nd coach for the Golden Warriors on the beach ball court. As a four-year university starter, Amankwa had fun with a range of players, players with varying levels of experience and saw various protective appearances.
Her dependability, consistency and effect resulted in a record-breaking career at setter.
“When we required a leader on the floor,” Sterling coach Dale Dykeman said, “it’s nice to have that skilled veteran out there to help.”
Amankwa provided that and more.
She completed with a program-record 2,437 helps. As a senior All-Western Big 6 Conference first-team choice, the University of Wisconsin-Platteville commit tallied 671 assists, 246 digs and 69 kills.Amankwa is the Sauk Valley Media Girls Beach Ball Gamer of the Year. Amankwa answered some concerns
from Shaw Resident sports reporter Drake Lansman. Sterling’s Delali Amankwa was named SVM Beach ball
Player of the Year for 2024.(Alex T. Paschal)When did you first get into volleyball, and what or who assisted you enter into it?Amankwa: Iinitially started playing volley ball in fifth grade through a league at Westwood. I
had constantly appreciated and was inspired by my 2 cousins, Mya and McKenna Pearson, who both played beach ball for Sterling, however my mother is actually the one who encouraged me to provide volleyball a try. I would later on sign up with nationwide volleyball leagues out of Chicago, Iowa and Rockford and spent the next 4 years traveling out of state to tournaments most weekends. It was terrific to satisfy players from various states and play in open divisions.What do you like about volley ball? Has it taught you anything?Amankwa: I enjoy the group dynamic of beach ball. No matter what, everybody needs to contribute something to every single play.
Volley ball has absolutely taught me how to overcome difficulty in a team manner and how to interact through the good and the bad.Any specific strengths you feel you have? Anything specifically you have worked at enhancing this year? Amankwa: I seem like a strength I bring is leadership. While being a setter, you definitely have to understand how to manage both the flooring and
your group because you touch the ball and make choices for each single point. This has actually taught me how to examine
and discover my teammates’ strengths and weak points, making me able to help them through both psychological and physical difficulties. You were able to pass Bree Borum to set Sterling’s career assists record. What does that achievement mean to you? What entered into setting that record?Amankwa: It indicates a lot to me to break this record. I have had a great deal of ups and downs with setting, so having the ability to climax is extremely reassuring to me as a professional athlete and
is truly remarkable to achieve. I have actually had many strong players and scrappy passers throughout the years who have helped to make it easier for me to reach this objective. And likewise coach Dykeman, who took a chance on me as a setter freshman year, and Sarah Egan, who assisted me to grow as a setter enormously. I certainly would not have been able to climax without the assistance of my colleagues and coaches and I’m permanently grateful for that.You are devoted to UW-Platteville to continue your volleyball profession. How exciting is it to be dipping into the next level? What made UW-Platteville a suitable for you?Amankwa: I am very excited to play at the next level and see in what ways the game is going to accelerate. I understood Platteville was a fit for me based off of the worths of their beach ball program. Their work principles, training and care for their professional athletes is what caught my interest, as it was what I was searching for in a school during the recruiting process. I also bonded with both of my coaches extremely well and could tell that they were
really devoted to their volleyball program and making certain it was in the very best position possible. The school is also very welcoming, and I seem like the students there support the sports considerably, which is a kind of environment you will not always find.Has being a multisport athlete helped you as a volleyball player?Amankwa: Yes. I believe playing numerous sports helps to keep me fit, as I constantly have conditioning, lifting or games for among the sports. Sports constantly keep me busy, which helps me recover into volley ball quickly from any offseason breaks. Any guidance you would provide to more youthful players?Amankwa: The guidance I ‘d offer to more youthful players is the value of communication and confidence. I believe interaction is vital in
volley ball, since the way you talk with your teammates on and off the
court affects the game significantly. Feedback helps to keep everyone on the very same page, builds trust and relationships and grows players more than anything. Second of all, self-confidence is also really important, as volley ball is a game of mistakes. Errors are unavoidable
in volleyball, and teaching yourself to look previous mistakes and
remember your worth as a professional athlete is essential to being the very best player you can be. Sterling’s Delali Amankwa was named SVM Beach ball Player of the Year for 2024.(Alex T. Paschal)