Athlete of the week: Lincoln Southwest’s Alivia Gustafson
LINCOLN, Neb. (KLKN) — A 6-0 start for Lincoln Southwest volleyball, and a big reason why is senior Alivia Gustafson. Through six matches, Gustafson has recorded 107 kills, averaging 4.1 per set. She also is a big factor on defense, averaging 3.1 digs per set.
On Wednesday, Gustafson stuffed the stat sheet. She finished with 20 kills, and 21 digs in a five set thriller victory over Lincoln East. She says her team’s chemistry is high right now.
“Our chemistry is definitely special. I feel like we all love each other truly. We love to play as a team, we play for each other,” Gustafson said. “It’s not about the stats. It’s being one whole group and having fun together.”
Gustafson also recorded a season high 25 kills in a match vs. Lincoln North Star Monday night.
In Alivia’s final year at Lincoln Southwest, she’s really embraced the leadership role. “I really just want to go all out, not just for myself but for them too. Even though it’s not some of my teammates last season, it’s still something I want them to remember positively,” said Gustafson. ”
“Being a teammate, and being a role model is really important.”
She adds there are a few things the team is looking to adjust the rest of the year. “I feel like we’ve had a few games this year where some teams have taken sets from us. So, we want to work on finishing the game sooner,” Gustafson said.” “Just bringing it all out there from the beginning.”
The Silverhawks will continue their stellar start to the season on Tuesday, where they play at Grand Island.
