Jason Hills 
For MacEwan Athletics 
 
EDMONTON – Growing up in a small Alberta town like Andrew, and going to high school in Lamont, Alyshia Bryks is the first to admit it was intimidating when she first stepped onto the court for the MacEwan Griffins women's volleyball team two seasons ago. 

Throughout her first two years with MacEwan, Bryks showed flashes of being a dominant outside hitter for the Griffins, but she also had a tough time finding her role with the team. 
This year, however, is different. 

"With the new coaching staff, I wanted this year to be a clean slate and do my best to show what I can do and prove that I can play at this level," said Bryks. 

"I find that Chris (Wandler) is good at giving you the confidence you need. He tells you what you need to hear. He's brutally honest with you, and he gives you great feedback." 

When Andi Krawec went down with a sprained ankle in the pre-season, Wandler needed one of his outside hitters to move to the right side. He spoke with Bryks about switching sides, and while she hadn't played on the right since her club volleyball days, she was willing to give it her best shot. 

Switching sides proved to be the best move for Bryks to shine in her new position. 

As the Griffins (3-3) prepare for their weekend series against the Brandon Bobcats (0-6) on Friday (6 p.m.) and Saturday (3 p.m., both David Atkinson Gym, Canada West TV), Bryks has 33 kills and 28 digs through the first six games of the season. 

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"She went out in that first preseason game against Mount Royal, and just lit it up, and it's been really hard for me to take her off the floor," said Wandler. 

"I'm seeing her become more and more confident as the season goes along. Alyshia has this really calm demeanor about her. She never gets too high or too low, no matter what stage the game is at. She has this stone-cold killer mentality about her." 

While Bryks plays with a lot of fire on the court, she's pretty quiet and soft-spoken off the court. She feels that volleyball brings out a different side to her. 

"I'm completely different. I'm out there jumping and yelling and cheering so loud, and then super quiet off the court," said Bryks. 

"When I was younger, I used to get so upset if (the game) wasn't going great. I had to really try to change that mindset. When you get to a certain point in a rally, you need to have that calmness so everyone on the team feels that energy." 

Bryks starred for the Lamont High Lakers and was named MVP of her team for three-straight years, but when you come from a small rural area, and then suddenly, you're part of a U SPORTS program in a big city playing against some of the best volleyball teams in the country, it's not only a culture shock, but there's a big adjustment on the court, too. 

"I went from playing schools like Redwater and Innisfree and Boyle and all the little, small towns to playing against great teams like the U of A, and Calgary. That first year, it was intimidating, and a bit scary on the court," said Bryks. 

"I still remember how nervous I was in my first game against the U of A. The crowd was so much bigger." 

Alyshia Bryks has 33 kills so far this season (Robert Antoniuk photo).

Bryks admits she still gets some pre-game jitters, but this year she feels like she can finally make her mark on the team and play an integral role as the Griffins get back into the playoffs for the first time since 2020. 

So far this year, she's played in all but one set for MacEwan. Her 33 digs rank third on the team, behind Mariah Bereziuk and Sara McGee, and she's averaging 1.83 kills per set. She's one of the team's best servers this year with seven service aces. 
When you look at the growth in Bryks' game over the past three years, it certainly coincides with the growth of the Griffins team. 

The past two years, there were some growing pains, but now the Griffins are ready to take the next step towards a playoff berth, and Bryks is making sure she's going to play a role in helping the team get there. 

"I feel so much more confident in the way I'm playing and so much more confident in our team," said Bryks. 

"I've worked so hard to prove that I belong and that I can play at this level and now I want to be someone that my teammates can trust that will put the ball away."