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player ready...Danielle Rzewnicki, a 2012 graduate of Ridgewood, is entering her senior year at Ashford in Clinton, Iowa. But after three seasons playing volleyball for the Saints, she has chosen to quit the sport to concentrate on her studies. Rzewnicki, who has two majors and a minor, plans to go to graduate school and become an occupational therapist.
As a junior setter, Rzewnicki helped the Saints to 28 wins, which tied the program record, and was selected as a Daktronics-NAIA Scholar-Athletes. She played in 41 of the team’s 42 matches and finished the season with 706 assists. For her career, she had 1,889 assists in 119 matches and the Saints were 75-48 since her freshman year.
Q: According to your mom, Lisa Rzewnicki, nine of your cousins either played or play sports in college. Your sister, Ashley Rzewnicki, was a three-sport athlete at Ridgewood, and your brother, Zac Rzewnicki, is the star basketball player for the Rebels. What was it like growing up in such an athletic family?
A: I really liked it. I got to see all my cousins play sports, some in college. It made me want to get involved.
Q: Was there anyone in particular who you looked up to when you were younger?
A: Probably my cousin, JoAnna Hoffman (Hoffman is from Prospect Heights and attended Hersey). She played volleyball for Ashford and then at the University of Illinois at Springfield. She showed me the skills of the game and really helped me a lot. Of all of my cousins, I would consider her my role model.
Q: When did you start playing sports competitively?
A: I did gymnastics for a long time until about the fifth grade. I then stopped because I knew my high school didn’t have a team and picked up volleyball. It’s a big sport on my mom’s side of the family. From then on, I always had a volleyball in my hands.
Q: Why did you decide to give up volleyball going into your senior year at Ashford?
A: This is my fifth summer working at a day camp for kids with special needs. Last year, I had an incredible summer, especially with one participant. I decided to add psychology as a second major to go along with business administration as a junior. With all the extra classes I had to take on, I thought it would be easier for me to stop playing volleyball. I looked at the long run. I want to go to graduate school and become an occupational therapist. I really loved [volleyball], but I wasn’t going to have a career in it. It was a very hard decision, though. When I go back to school, it will hit me.
Q: How did you initially get involved with the Western Suburban Special Recreation Association in Franklin Park?
A: One of my club volleyball coaches asked me if I wanted a summer job. She told me it wasn’t for everyone, but I ended up loving it. I really liked trying to figure out the kids and what they liked and how to communicate with them. I liked making them smile and making their days better. The kid from last summer really put me to the test and got me out of my comfort zone. But his mom said he had a big breakthrough after spending time with me, and that his behavior had changed. She said I had a gift of working with kids with special needs.
Q: What was one of your favorite memories in three seasons with the Ashford volleyball team?
A: I think it was beating Viterbo last year. They were ranked highly in the country, and I believe the [3-2] win [on Sept. 13, 2014] got us into the [NAIA Volleyball Coaches’] Top 25 for the first time in school history. I also got to meet some really great people and made some great friends.
Q: Ashford is closing its Clinton, Iowa, campus after this upcoming school year. How did you learn about the news, and how did you take it?
A: We got an e-mail from the school president not too long ago informing us of the decision. There are definitely a lot of people in shock. It doesn’t affect me as much or really at all because I will be done. But I won’t get to be an alumni and won’t be able to come back to visit. It’s hard to see, but I know they are doing what they can to accommodate the students.
Q: In addition to majoring in psychology and business administration, you have a minor in visual arts. That’s crossing a lot of spectrums.
A: One of my cousins, Andrew Rzewnicki, is a good drawer and helped get me into it. It’s more of a fun thing for me. I like to draw and paint. I recently got into water colors. I draw things I am interested in. It’s something that relaxes me.
Q: You also will be a resident advisor for a second year. Do you have any crazy stories from the halls?
A: No, I don’t, which is good. I had a really good floor of freshmen. They were all well-behaved. There were a couple of arguments, but nothing out of the ordinary. We did have a tornado at the school, so I helped organize the evacuation. I had to make sure everyone was safe.
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