May 4, 2007

As Published in the Batavia News, By David Hibbard

Fierce competition is nothing new to Alyssa D'Errico.
The senior has experienced it during five seasons of varsity volleyball at Byron-Bergen. She's experienced it during five seasons of varsity basketball at B-B. She's experienced it during several seasons of club volleyball, including the last four with VolleyFX Magic 181 out of Rochester. She'll experience it later this year when she starts her freshman year of college with the nationally ranked Penn State volleyball team.

Her latest experience came April 23. And like most of her previous experiences, she came out a winner. D'Errico was the recipient of the prestigious WHAM High School Sportswoman of the Year Award, given out at the 29th annual WHAM Women's Sports Day Awards Luncheon at the Clarion Riverside Hotel. She also was a finalist in 2006, but was beaten out by Fairport swimmer Erin McGraw. McGraw also was a repeat finalist this year, but D'Errico won this time.

"At first I didn't think it was me because they kind of pronounced my name wrong. But as soon as they said my last name, I was like 'Wow! That's me. I have to get up (and make a speech),'" D'Errico said. "And then when I went to get up, I kind of tripped all the way. I was just kind of like shaking a little bit -- a little bit nervous up there speaking.

"But as soon as I heard the people that came to watch and be here for me today to support me cheering, I knew that it was all worth it."

D'Errico had about two dozen guests -- family members, classmates, coaches, school administrators and friends -- in attendance.

"Everybody that came out here today was here supporting me through everything that I'd done," she said. "It's a good closing to my senior year."

D'Errico closed out her scholastic career with a memorable year. In volleyball, she helped the Bees capture their third consecutive Class C state championship and go undefeated for the second straight year. She garnered first-team all-state honors for the third time, was named as Gatorade New York State Volleyball Player of the Year, was selected to the inaugural American Volleyball Coaches Association Senior All-America team and was one of eight players in the nation to be chosen as a first-team Academic All-American by Prep Volleyball. In basketball, D'Errico became Byron-Bergen's all-time leading scorer with 1,136 points and was a Genesee Region League all-star for the fourth time.

"Everything that I've accomplished individually has come from the team," she said. "I don't think that I would have even gotten in (as a finalist) without (the team) having a 22-0 record. And you can't play volleyball 1-on-6. You have to have people around you.

"Even basketball. Our record was pretty good this year; we had a pretty good team. Every sport that I've played in, I've had great teams where people are all in it for each other and playing for each other. So that makes it that much sweeter to be able to represent the teams that I've been a part of."

This year's field of five finalists included some well-known student-athletes.
• McGraw is a nine-time state champion and seven-time high school All-American.
• Honeoye Falls-Lima's Liz Deir is a two-time state champion in cross country and a member of four state championship teams in Nordic skiing.
• Megan Shoniker of Greece Arcadia is the Monroe County League's all-time leading scorer in girls basketball and a six-year starter in softball.
• Aquinas' Erica Henderson is a three-time state champion in soccer, a standout catcher in softball and a four-year boxer.

"It makes it more meaningful this year, but any of them could have been deserving," D'Errico said. "You have the top scorer in Monroe County history, you have people that have gone to nationals for cross country and won nationals with their team, swimmers that have won nine state titles. It's amazing the people that I was going up against and the fact that I won."

D'Errico also was impressed with the message that came from luncheon's guest speaker, U.S. women's hockey star Cammi Granato. Granato, who captained the Americans to the first-ever gold medal in women's hockey at the 1998 Winter Olympics, recalled how the 2002 Olympic team breezed through its pre-Olympic schedule and was favored to win gold again. But the pressure got to the Americans, who played their worst game of the year -- "We were playing not to lose instead of playing to win," Granato said -- and lost to Canada in the gold-medal game.

"All the stuff that she was saying, I've heard before," D'Errico said. "And actually coming from an Olympian who's won a gold medal, who's won a silver medal, it means so much more because it's like 'Wow, even at the upper levels you still need the little lessons to get you through.'"

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Dave Hibbard is the Assistant Sports Editor for the Batavia Daily News and is a contributing writer at VolleyFX.com. For stories or information, contact Dave at dhibbard@batavianews.com.

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