It’s a rarity to have a sophomore as a captain on any team. But sophomore setter Allison Davis proves it can be done, not once but twice. Davis was also named a captain her freshman year, which was, for her, an exciting feat.
“It’s so exciting for me, especially with all the new athletes and all the new freshman we have this year,” Davis said. “As a center, we have all these big footers and all of these amazing defensive specialists so it makes my job even easier as specialist and as captain. I’m so proud to be leading such a great team this year with a ton of potential.”
Davis, a statistics major, served as the No.-1 setter on the team, leading the team with 905 assists. She had a .223-attack percentage, which ranked her second on the team. She also played in all 31 matches in 2006, starting in 29 of them.
Davis, who is a native of Cape Coral, Fla., has been playing volleyball her whole life, picking up the sport from her dad, Glen Davis.
“My father was all into it, and he loves playing beach volleyball,” she said. “So I grew up playing beach volleyball. I started playing indoor in fifth grade. I’ve been playing all my life. I had a high school coach that pulled me up in eighth grade to varsity and started me.”
Since the end of her freshman season, Davis has been tuning up her game, working on different setting choices and serves. Off the court, Davis was adjusting to college play and the role of a student-athlete.
“Freshman year was a rough season — very difficult,” she said. “[It’s] very different playing college versus high school. Now, this year, I know what to expect. I’ve been working on being a tougher athlete, knowing that I can push myself that extra 10 percent.”
Davis’ mother Sue Davis is proud of the athletic and academic achievements that her daughter has made at N.C. State.
“Not only juggling an ACC sport but being a key part of a team and maintaining academics is a big challenge,” Sue Davis said.
Sue Davis said Allison wanted to come to State once she visited the campus early on and liked working with one of the former assistant coaches during the recruiting process.
“She really liked the variety of majors offered and the educational standards of the school,” Sue Davis said. “She just really liked the school from the beginning. She looked at a number of other schools, but N.C. State was always her first choice.”
Off the court, Allison Davis was named to the 2006 All-ACC Academic Volleyball team and was selected as an N.C. State/Caterpillar Scholar Athlete. Allison said her parents are proud of her achievement.
“My mom always pushed me to be academic — really, really super high standards,” Davis said. “I had straight As, elementary [school] all the way through high school. She’s always been on top of me for grades. My dad has always been on top of me for athletics. We aim for excellence.”
Sue Davis said she believes her daughter has always been a leader and sets a good example for the people around her. She said she is proud of her daughter’s achievements academically and of being named captain for a second year in a row.
“She’s always been very respected by her classmates, her peers and her teachers,” Sue Davis said. “She has a propensity for doing the right thing. I just think it really shows her maturity, even as a freshman. It shows the respect her teammates have for her, and I’m very proud of her for it.”
