Daily Mining Gazette: Jonynas looks to bring some “tools” to the volleyball Huskies next season
By Daver Karnosky – Daily Mining Gazette
dkarnosky@mininggazette.com
Editor's Note: This feature originally appeared in the August 11 edition of the Daily Mining Gazette.
HOUGHTON, Mich. — For the last four years, Michigan Tech Huskies volleyball fans have had the pleasure of witnessing the development of a small outside hitting dynamo in the 5-foot-9 Aubrey Ficek. As a senior, she set career highs in sets, kills, kills per set, and many other offensive categories.
While the impact of her graduation will be felt this season, head coach Matt Jennings and his staff may have found an ideal replacement for their offensive force in Orland Park, Illinois, native Anna Jonynas.
Joynas even looks the part, standing 5-foot-9 herself. Part of what drew Joynas to Michigan Tech was the fact that if Ficek could be effective in their offense at her height, Jonynas should be able to slide right in and do the same.
A graduate of Carl Sandburg High School in Orland Park, which is some 26 miles southwest of Chicago, Jonynas likes the challenge of being an outside hitter and is looking forward to being in the gym when the Pep Band is making noise and cheering her teammates on because she expects that will remind her of her high school gym.
"It's like the best feeling in the world, I think," said Jonynas. "When you get a big kill and everyone roars, that's why I like being a hitter. I mean I like defense and everything, but it is the 'Wow' factor that keeps everything going."
Jonynas played five seasons in the 1st Alliance Volleyball Club, spending last season with the club's 18U Club Black team. One of her teammates will also see action in the GLIAC as Emily Drenth will be attending Grand Valley State.
Jonynas is excited about seeing her former teammate on the court.
Jonynas' club is the same program that produced another player Huskies fans are familiar with.
"She actually played for the same club Jackie Aird did," said Jennings. "Jackie actually made [former assistant coach] Doug [Han] and I aware of her."
Playing club volleyball helped Jonynas learn how to use her height to her advantage. While she may not carry the overpowering swing that whistles at opponents from high in the air, Jonynas has learned how to take advantage of an attack calling tooling.
"Tooling is when you are going up for a hit and swing into the other blocker's hand," said Jonynas. "[The ball] touches them and then it goes out, so you use them [as a tool] to get the point."
Jonynas had her choice of schools to pick from, but found Michigan Tech, some eight hours from home, to be the best fit for her both athletically and academically.
"I just love the atmosphere up here," said Jonynas. "I love that everything feels safe and I love that it is a small-town feel. Everyone is nice to each other."