COACH'S GAME BALL: Avoni Seymour

Winston-Salem State head volleyball coach Eric Poitier selected Avoni Seymour as the recipient of this issue's Game Ball.

"She's [Seymour] been leading the team offensively and defensively over the last two games," Poitier said.

Seymour has led the Lady Rams with 12 kills in each of the last two matches against Claflin University and St. Augustine's College. 

A junior from Nassau, Bahamas, Seymour transferred to WSSU from Missouri Baptist University in St. Louis, Mo. in fall 2011. 

She finished second on the team in kills [186] and ranked third in digs [120] in her first season with the team. She also had 15 service aces and seven assists during last year's campaign. 

"Avoni is a very versatile player and our team counts on her to do a lot for us," Poitier said.

Although she had a strong season last year, Seymour said her goal is to put up even better numbers in 2012. 

With 196 digs through 26 games, she has already surpassed her total from last year. 

Q: Does the fact that your coach chose you for the Game Ball give you any added confidence or motivation? Did you expect it?

Seymour: I didn't expect it. We have a lot of other girls on the team that are doing really well. Then again, I'm not surprised because last year I ended up getting [CIAA] Player of the Week once. It motivates me even more to do better than I'm doing now and to continue to help my team as best I can.

Q: What type of leader do you try to be on and off the court?

Seymour: On the court, I try to be a leader and keep everybody up and keep them from getting down. 

When we get down, our play suffers. 

Off the court, I try to keep everybody together and try to make sure we do everything as a team. 

We carry that same bond from off the court when on the court.

Q: What are your expectations for yourself and the team for the rest of the season?

Seymour: My goals for myself are to surpass what I did last year. I'm pretty close so far, and I'm just trying to push a little harder to exceed my stats from last season. For the team, we are all trying to bring the first volleyball championship to the school.

Q: Do you or your team have any superstitions or routines you go through before a game?

Seymour: We try to play games to get everybody hyped. We stay up and make a bunch of noise because that pumps everybody up. We play music. We need our music or we play dead.

Q: What are your plans after WSSU?

Seymour: My major is pre-med. I really want to go to med school. If I don't go to med school right away, I'll do some research for about a year and then go to med school. Med school is my long-term goal after I get my undergrad degree. 

Edited by Chelsea Burwell