Nov. 13, 2004

By Amy Mulligan
Maryland Media Relations

Every team has one. The player you turn to when the lead is not yours, when the calls are not going your way or when the decision is not clear. This player is called many things throughout the sports world: Mentor, floor general, captain. But the most common title is leader, and on the Maryland volleyball team - there are five.

The members of the Terrapin volleyball team's senior class -- Jennifer Dewalt, Maria DiLivio, Aimee Huddleston, Kathy Shahrokh and Sarah Treadwell -- are preparing for the final matches of their careers as the squad finishes up the regular season and heads to the ACC Tournament in Charlottesville, Va.

A season ago, the group had the distinction of being on the third Maryland team to win the ACC Championship and the fifth Terp squad to earn an NCAA Tournament berth. As a class, they have won over 80 matches in five years (Dewalt, Huddleston and Treadwell arrived in 2001, DiLivio and Shahrokh came to College Park in 2000 and took redshirt seasons) and have been part of some of the biggest victories in school history.

As careers draw to an end, reflection is natural. As athletes, there are games, matches and even plays that are unforgettable, but listening to these five seniors relive the best and worst moments of their years together - the talk is of each other.

Although laughter dominates the conversation, there are moments of solemn reflection interspersed as they reminisce about first impressions of each other, memorable moments on and off the court and the bond they have forged through the years.

Called almost always only by her last name by her teammates, Shahrokh ("Shrock") is the talker, the voice you always seem to be able to pick out of a crowd. But, as her teammates point out, it hasn't always been that way. "I always think of how much Shahrokh has changed since she was a freshman," Jennifer Dewalt says.

"I used to be really quiet. I was silent, actually," Shahrokh says.

It is somewhat hard to believe seeing her now, a confident and talkative senior who always seems to be laughing. A 5-2 defensive specialist walk-on, Shahrokh prides herself on working hard and having fun, and says she doesn't have to look further than her own team for inspiration.

"I've gone through struggles. I think we all have, but we also all learned how to be leaders," she says. "There are times when you think of giving up, but then you look around at your teammates and you know you want to be a part of it."

The conversation then shifts from the voluble Shahrokh to the "motherly" DiLivio. The 6-1 outside hitter hails from Ontario -- a fact that is often a source of interest, especially when her sentences end in "Eh?" or when the topic is Canada. But perhaps what she is most known for among her teammates is for being the caretaker of the group.

"Maria is the mother of the team in the sense that she has the longest arms so she can huddle us all together," Shahrokh jokes. "Maria keeps everyone in line," Dewalt adds.

DiLivio, the team's co-captain, for her part, echoes the sentiment of drawing motivation from her classmates. "I look at my teammates and they inspire me to be a better player," she says.

Perhaps her motherly instinct will translate into coaching, as DiLivio will coach a club team in the spring with fellow senior Jennifer Dewalt. After graduation in May, DiLivio says she will travel to Italy before settling on a definite path. One thing she knows, though, is that memories of volleyball will continue with her for the rest of her life.

"It might sound cheesy, but being a part of this team and winning the ACC Championship last year, it is definitely something to look back on and even tell your grandchildren that you were a part of this prestigious group," she says.

Jennifer Dewalt, an outside hitter described by her teammates as having a penchant for animated on-court celebrations, came to Maryland from Bethlehem, Pa., with a slightly different look than she has now.

"Jen came here with long hair down to her waist with blue streaks," Treadwell describes. Dewalt, now with a shorter, darker cut, says her and DiLivio are often taken for sisters when out together.

As for her intense and aggressive celebrations, Dewalt often describes them as part of her alter ego, "Volleyball Jen." More reserved off the court, her post-Maryland plans include graduate school and a career as a photographer. In thinking to the future, she knows the end of something significant is coming.

"Reality is definitely starting to hit," she says. "A major era in our life is about to end."

Treadwell and Huddleston round out the unique quintet. Both Texas natives, the Lone Star State is never far from either of their minds, but they both have also found a home in College Park.

Huddleston came to Maryland as an outside hitter but will leave as one of the program's most successful setters. A first-team All-ACC and honorable mention All-America selection in 2003, she has earned the respect of her teammates in two years with a starting role as co-captain and setter.

"Aimee has adapted so well to the change of becoming a setter," DiLivio remarks. "She developed into a great setter."

Huddleston says the biggest difference between the early stages of her Terrapin career and now is her role. "When I came in as a freshman, I wasn't playing, so I had to ask myself what my role was. It was a weird feeling. Now everyone has a role, including me, and now I feel like an integral part of the team," she says.

Aside from jokes about becoming an astronaut and heading to outer space, Huddleston says she has time before she has to figure out what to do with her life after volleyball. She is proud of the fact that she has helped built a foundation for future players.

"To not be on an organized team is going to be really, really weird," she says. "I hope we've helped the program for the future. We keep getting better and better recruits, and it's cool to know that we are a part of that."

Treadwell also traveled from Texas to become a Terrapin. Described as competitive and strong-willed by her teammates, Treadwell has made being a solid all-around player her trademark, as she leads the team in both kills and digs this season.

Two faces that have become nearly as common at the Terps' games as Treadwell herself are her parents, Donald and Brenda. In talking about what inspires her, Treadwell gives a lot of credit to the two.

"Besides my teammates, my parents really inspire me. They support me and have always been there for me." The Treadwell's, especially in 2004, have been some of the most ardent fans both at Comcast Center and on the road. The duo also knows the success of her volleyball career will linger with their daughter forever.

"My Dad said to me just the other day 'Just think in 10 years you guys will come back and celebrate your ACC Championship.' We'll always have something to come back and celebrate."

As the conversation winds down and practice begins, the group has hit quite a range of emotions, going from hysterical laughter to thoughtful musing with apparent ease.

Although the distinctions between the individuals are noticeable -- differences in appearance, background, personality -- the goal among them in a common one. As the 2004 volleyball season draws to a close, the seniors will be leaders for a team that has already accomplished much, but is looking for more.