Back to the @Herald home page

Athlete of the Week:
Rosie Wustrack

Wustrack
Teammates call her "Rosie the Riveter" for a very good reason. Rosie Wustrak, BR '99, is having an excellent season as the star middle-blocker of the Yale women's volleyball team. This past week Wustrak was named Ivy League Player of the Week for the third time this season. This award came on the heels of a spectacular win over Brown last Fri., Oct. 25. Yale defeated Brown in five heavily-contested games. Wustrak played a key role in this win, amassing 18 kills, 15 digs, and five blocks. Yale also defeated Fairfield and Hartford, and Wustrak's performance was excellent as always. In Yale's 3-0 win over Hartford, Wustrak had a career high in hitting percentage at .857 which included 12 kills, 14 attempts, and no errors.

The volleyball team has an impressive record of 15 wins and seven losses, but even when the team's performance has been less than impressive, Wustrak has managed to play consistently. Earlier this season when Yale lost to Princeton in four games, Wustrak had 23 kills, nine digs, seven blocks, and three service aces, with a hitting percentage of .629.

"As an underclassman she's a great team leader," junior varsity coach Shawn Monahan said. Teammates appreciate both Wustrak's athleticism and her team spirit. They have given her several nicknames including "Return to Sender" prompted by her powerful hitting ability. Sometimes Wustrak's hits are so hard that opposing teams have difficulty getting under the hits, much less concern themselves with returning them. "Rosie is so good, but you wouldn't know it from talking to her--she always puts the team first," teammate Erica Tarin, CC '00, said.

"I'm proud of our team's performance so far this season, and I'm really excited about our chances in the Ivy League Tournament. This year all of the teams in the league are quite comprable so the championship is up for grabs. I know that we have the ability to be champions and I'm looking forward to proving it," Wustrak said. Rosie never talks about herself because she doesn't have to--her actions speak louder than words.

--Tori Hammond

Back in @Sports:
The Herald's NBA Eastern Conference preview 		Ahead in @Sports:
Smack Zone!

All material © 1996, The Yale Herald, Inc. and its staff. May not be redistributed or duplicated without permission of The Yale Herald, Inc. Comments to online@yaleherald.com. Have a nice day.