OUTSIDE LOOKING IN

DIGGING UP AN MVP
When playing a sport, athletes who are on the offensive side of the ball scoring points, throwing or running for touchdowns, or hitting home runs often garner all the accolades and awards.
Rarely is a defensive standout named Most Valuable Player. Defying the odds, Minneota senior Lyzah Sussner was recently selected the Most Valuable Player in the Camden Conference for volleyball. Not the Most Valuable Defensive Player either. She was named the best player in a conference chock full of quality attackers.
Sussner is the Ozzie Smith of volleyball. Smith was an outstanding shortstop for the San Diego Padres and St. Louis Cardinals from the late 70s to mid 90s, and earned 13 straight Gold Glove Awards before eventually entering the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2002.
Sussner, who is hard-working and unassuming, frustrates opponents with her ability to dig up an attack and quell a rally.
“I can’t recall the last practice that Lyzah hasn’t stayed after and took extra reps at,” said Minneota coach Hayley Fruin. “She’s so unselfish and just wants to win.”
When Minneota played in the elite Class a Showcase in Burnsville in late September, Sussner was singled out over some of the best hitters in the state and named MVP there, too.
Earlier this season, Sussner was honored for amassing over 1,000 digs in a career.
Sussner’s digs are as exciting to watch as one of the Vikings’ hard-hitting attackers pounding down a thunderous kill.
When asked what she feels is the reason for her ability to keep the ball from hitting the floor, Sussner said simply “practice.”
During a few more questions, it was apparent that Sussner was uncomfortable talking about herself. So, I asked her if she was and she gave me a quick honest response.
“Yes,” she said in a quiet voice.
During the Section 3A championship match against Russell-Tyler-Ruthton on Saturday, I stood near the RTR fan section during the match. While visiting with a few people who were wondering what I was writing in my clipboard, a couple of them politely asked me about Lyzah and how a back row player can be named MVP. As the match wore on, one of the people who had spoke with me earlier got up off her seat and walked over to me.
“Now I know why,” she said to me with a wink.
Because of her limited height, Lyzah decided to hone her skills digging up laser shots with the propensity of an NHL goalie.
“Liberos don’t get the credit they deserve,” Fruin noted, “but other coaches have made comments about her which goes to show how talented she is. She covers so much of the court and is such a team player. I’m so lucky and beyond grateful to have had Lyzah in our libero jersey the last couple of years.”
Liberos must have cat-like quickness to be able to twist and turn their bodies in an instant and pounce on the ball before it hits the floorboards.
The Vikings have been blessed with solid back row players in recent years. McKenzie Tolk was a stellar player who took her act to SMSU two years ago and has been contributing as a defensive specialist for the Mustangs.
‘”She helped me a lot, too,” said Sussner about Tolk. “I learned a lot from watching her play.”
When Sussner was informed some of the positive things others have said about her standout play, she reacted uncomfortably as though she was just doing what she is supposed to do.
“It’s my job to get the pass to the setter,” she said, as though it’s an easy thing to do. “I enjoy it when one of our hitters gets a kill because I know I did my job.”
Rarely do people pay to go to a volleyball match to watch someone dig up an attack. Most feel that it’s much more exciting to watch an attacker hit a blistering shot that smacks the floor with a resounding thump.
That might be exciting to some, but Lyzah was certainly worth the price of admission.

BURNING OF THE FLAGS
Because Veterans Day falls on a Saturday this year, the school will hold its Veterans Days program on Monday, Nov. 13 beginning at 11 a.m. (see Page 1).
Some of the local veterans, however, will still be burning worn out American flags as they do each year behind the Legion building beginning at 1 p.m.