The University of Alaska Fairbanks    

Candice Smith speaks up behind the net

By RICHARD LARSON, Staff Writer

The changes Candice Smith has made in her on-court game are readily visible every time the University of Alaska Fairbanks volleyball team plays. She has improved her defense and serving to complement her blocking and hitting and become a consistently strong player all the way around the court.

The changes the 6-1 rightside hitter has made in her own personality to become a stronger leader are less visible outside the team, but no less impressive.

"She's not by nature a forceful, vocal person," UAF coach Phil Shoemaker said. "She's stepped outside of her comfort zone a little bit. I'm real proud of her for doing that; it's not necessarily an easy thing to do."

Smith plays the final two home matches of her Nanook career this weekend when UAF faces St. Martin's College at 7 tonight and Central Washington at 5 p.m. Saturday at the UAF Patty Center.

"It's a little surreal," Smith said of the end of her senior season approaching. "I knew it was coming all season. I'm sure I'll be emotional on Saturday. As of right now, though, we have to go out and win the games. I've got to stay focused."

As the lone senior on a team with six freshmen, Smith felt she needed to step forward a little.

"It's not something I was used to doing," Smith said. "I am sort of quieter and don't always say what I feel. With all the new players this year, if we wanted to go as far as we could, I knew I would have to a little more demanding vocally. I feel like my own personal style is to lead more by example, to show players what works rather than telling them, but vocal leaders can be heard more."

Junior Mallory Bergstrom and Candice Smith are the team captains and junior Carlin Smith also helped carry the leadership load.

"It's kind of weird not having (Jen) Medl there or Jamie (Schanback) around," Candice Smith said of seniors on last year's UAF squad. "But with Carlin and Mallory I don't feel like they are juniors. They are two friends and leaders out there beside me as well."

While being a bit more outspoken, Smith has continued to lead by example, too. A strong blocker and front-row player through her first three seasons she has been a solid, sometimes even spectacular defensive player.

She is third on the team in kills, second in average blocks per game, first in total blocks, fourth in digs and third in set assists. Smith is fourth on UAF's all-time list for career blocks with 272 and is in the top 20 in kills with 556.

"There is going to be a void to fill when she is gone," Shoemaker said. "I'm going to miss the presence she had for us on the right side of the net. When she is on, other teams have to adjust their whole game. She can just dominate that entire half of the net."

Smith played at Rick Hansen High School in Mount Lehman, British Columbia, before coming to UAF.

"I grew up in a basketball town, thinking I'd play basketball," Smith said. "But I burned out on basketball and began to focus on volleyball my senior year. In high school you are the best player on your team. You come to the university and everybody was the best player on their team. It was a real step up emotionally and physically.

"I learned a lot. I know I've changed a lot as a player and as a person."

The Nanooks are working on their fifth consecutive winning season, but need to win their final four matches and have some help to make the playoffs. They are 12-7 overall and 9-5 in the Great Northwest Athletic Conference.

"I'm really, really proud of her," Shoemaker said. "She's been a big part of our success over the four years she's been here. She is the second player in Nanook history with winning seasons in each year of her (four-year) career. That is something we are very proud of."

The Nanooks have gone a cumulative 58-30 so far through Smith's career.

"I can't believe I'm going to graduate this year. I'll get my degree and be off and have a career," said Smith who is a social anthropology and art history major. "These four years have gone really quickly. This year has been a fun season for the team. We all mesh very well on and off the court. It's been a good year to end on."