Plum grad Dannika Susko quickly growing into college game for Pitt-Johnstown women’s volleyball
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For most teenagers, the transition from high school to college is a giant leap, particularly when it comes to time-management skills. The ability to multi-task gets even harder for those who also play a sport.
Dannika Susko didn’t see it that way. In fact, the Plum grad feels like she is getting a break.
Perhaps that’s because she played soccer, basketball, volleyball and lacrosse and competed in track and field for the Mustangs. But these days, she is only a volleyball player for Pitt-Johnstown.
“It’s really funny because I feel like I have so much more time,” said the 5-foot-11 middle hitter. “I feel like it’s supposed to be the opposite, like I’m supposed to be overwhelmed. But I’m like, ‘Hey, this is nice. I have one sport. I don’t have to worry about next season.’
“My time-management skills since my freshman year of high school have improved so much, and now I feel like I know exactly how to plan out my day when I have to do stuff, when I can be most productive.”
Susko has shown she can be productive on the volleyball court for the Mountain Cats.
Through UPJ’s Oct. 14 sweep of Cal (Pa.), the team’s second consecutive sweep at that point, Susko was averaging 1.57 kills per set and 0.38 blocks per set. The Mountain Cats were 14-6, 5-3 in the PSAC through that match.
Her best effort to date was a five-set win over Edinboro in which she posted a personal-best 14 kills while hitting .321 and added two blocks.
Susko’s season got off to a slow start as she dealt with a minor arm injury during preseason. Once she was back to 100%, she picked up her play and began fitting in to coach Justin Haupt’s system.
“I feel Dannika has all of the tools to be a great player for us,” Haupt, in his second season at the helm, said. “She has the athleticism, work ethic, intelligence and mental toughness that it takes. I’m really excited to see what she can accomplish.”
Along with the less-hectic schedule, the other aspect of college Susko has found to her liking is the level of commitment from her teammates. That, she said, has helped her raise her level of play.
And with how regularly she has been playing — appearing in 13 of 20 matches through Oct. 14 — Susko said she already has exceeded at least some of her expectations.
“I think it has gone very well, especially as a freshman,” she said. “I am getting playing time in many of these matches. The beginning of the season, we had scrimmages and tournaments that a lot of people were getting to play, but now that we’re getting into conference play, I’m playing in a lot of these games, which, I think, is really good for a freshman and surprising for me.”
Of course, she has a long way to go before she is a polished college player. As a middle hitter/blocker, Susko has two primary goals: hit for a high percentage and snuff out the other team’s attack.
She has been inconsistent at both as she finds her way. Offensively, she will hit for a high percentage in one match, then struggle to put balls away in the next. For example, she hit .308 against Frostburg State on Sept. 2, then had the .321 outing against Edinboro. In between she had two matches where her hitting percentage was a minus.
Similarly, on the block, she is getting touches, but not enough of them are solid enough to send the ball back over the net.
Part of her struggles is a product of her height. Even at the Division II level, 5-11 isn’t big for a middle hitter, so Susko has had to find ways to compensate.
“Justin has been specific about this: me hitting spots,” Susko said about her offense. “If I can’t hit really hard, throw it to a corner. Or specific shots, seeing the block and hitting my angles the best I can.
“Since January, I’ve been going to the gym almost every single day just because I wanted to get stronger and improve my vertical so I can get a bigger block. … I want to get more stuff blocks and send (the ball) back to their side.”
Susko credited junior setter Adi Beaz for helping her improve on offense. The two became partners in pepper drills early in the season, and, Susko said, they have continued to work together to build their chemistry.
“Connecting with the setter is something that is really important to me,” she said. “I think you have to talk to them about each set. She definitely took me under her wing and explained things to me and did drills I had never done before. She’s definitely a big influence on me.
“I will look to her in serve-receive, and she’ll call a play, and she’ll know what I can run and what my best runs are and she knows exactly how to set it for me.”
As the regular season heads into its final two weeks, the Mountain Cats are hoping to build momentum for the PSAC postseason. Susko, meanwhile, is hoping to continue to be an integral part of the lineup.
She is keenly aware that she still has a lot of room to improve.
At the same time, she has been buoyed by her performance.
Susko said she half expected to spend much of her first year cheering on her teammates. It has become increasingly apparent, however, she will have a significantly bigger role coming down the stretch.
“You can’t expect (playing time) when you go to college,” she said. “But getting minutes is something that’s really exciting for me. I want to continue playing in these section games, get as much time as I can.
“The four-year goal, I want to become a really impactful middle that they know they can trust.”