Photos by Heather Belcher
When Olivia Ziolkowski stepped on campus at Woodrow Wilson High School in 2018, the only sport on her mind was basketball.
A lot can change in three years.
Now entering her senior season, Ziolkowski is not only a standout on the basketball court, she has also developed into an all-state candidate in another sport – volleyball.
Although she started her high school sports career as a basketball player, the volleyball chapter opened a year later.
“I played volleyball in eighth grade, but I wasn’t really all about volleyball then,” Ziolkowski said. “Whenever I started my freshman year of high school, I was really skinny and not very strong. I wanted to get into the weight room.”
“Olivia did not play her freshman year because she chose to focus on basketball,” Woodrow Wilson head volleyball coach Bre Rhodes said. “I think she later realized how much volleyball could help her going into the basketball season. Needless to say, I was very glad to have her, and she has been great for us on the front row, especially blocking.”
Entering her sophomore season, Ziolkowski had a change of heart about volleyball. However, with only one year of middle school volleyball to her credit, the return to volleyball had its rough patches.
Help from former Woodrow Wilson all-stater, Bryce Knapp, who now plays at Fairmont State University, got Ziolkowski pointed in the right direction.
“I tried out my sophomore year and made varsity, but I had a lot to learn,” Ziolkowski said. “Bryce helped me before tryouts. She helped me get my serve where it needed to be and helped me get the timing down for my hitting.”
Rhodes also admitted there were some bumps and growing pains along the way.
“She has grown a lot and has become more familiar with the game. After you take that year off, it is a different ballgame from middle school to high school,” Rhodes said. “It took a little patience on both our parts, but she has come a long way. I have seen a big jump even this year in her hitting a blocking.”
Being tasked early in her career as a middle blocker, Ziolkowski soon found out how hard it was to play high school volleyball.
“It’s rough playing the middle. It is a lot of jumping and a lot of constant movement. You must be in position for the block because that is how the defense knows where to play. It’s a lot of pressure,” Ziolkowski said.
The upside for all of Ziolkowski’s hard work in the fall paid huge dividends once basketball rolled around in the winter.
“Just the simple workouts we do for strength and jumping in volleyball has helped me a lot for basketball season,” Ziolkowski said. “Volleyball has kept me in shape, so I am ready to play come November.”
Although Ziolkowski didn’t seem destined to become a two-sport standout. It should really come as no surprise that she did.
Woodrow Wilson head girls’ basketball coach Brian Nabors explained why she has become so successful during her career.
“Olivia is a great leader. She is a committed player that is all about the team. She has been like that all through high school. That’s one thing I admire about Olivia. One of her most valuable assets is her hard work and her grit,” Nabors explained. “She is very unselfish. She is tough and plays through injuries. Olivia is not going to back down and she won’t take anything off anyone. She will stick her nose in there, fight, scratch and compete. She hates to lose.”
Fellow senior, Elysia Salon, talked about what it’s like playing alongside Ziolkowski on the volleyball court.
“Playing with Olivia is so much fun. She brings a lot of energy to the team and gets everyone hyped. She is such a really good player,” Salon said.
Hard work and dedication also afforded Zilkowski a great opportunity over the summer.
“I played AAU with the West Virginia Thunder out of Huntington. I went to Indianapolis a couple of times, Philadelphia, Cincinnati and some really big named cities,” Ziolkowski explained. “I got a lot of exposure and It has helped me manage the stress of the game. I feel like playing with the Thunder has helped me play well under pressure by knowing what I need to do in crucial situations.”
Now the young lady that was not all about volleyball as a freshman, cannot hide her excitement for her upcoming senior season at the net.
I am extremely glad I decided to play volleyball. I love it so much. It is such a great environment being around all these girls and the coaches. I am really glad to be a part of,” Ziolkowski said. “Even though we lost both of our setters and a libero from last year, I think we have some girls coming back that will step up to the plate. We also have some great younger players that are absolutely amazing. I am really stoked for this season.”