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Volleyball Wes Bloomquist

Player Spotlight: Woolsey Poised to Break Nelson's Assist Record





Setters enjoy being in control, but Amber Nelson recognizes and accepts that there is nothing she can do about the fate of her career assists record at Angelo State.
 
Nelson, who is ASU's all-time leader in assists with 4,786, has been helplessly checking stories and statistics on the computer this season from her home in Houston as Alex Woolsey approaches her 7-year-old record. The number she was watching entering the season was 1,095 and it has been systematically dwindling match by match. Woolsey, who is averaging 40 assists per match in her senior season, enters Friday's contest at Texas A&M-Commerce needing only two assists to draw even with Nelson and three to become the all-time leader in Angelo State history.
 
Now a mother to a 1-year-old son, a wife who goes by the name Amber Griffith and an IT Applications Coordinator, the former ASU setter is excited that Woolsey is about to break her record.
 
“It's inevitable that she'll break the record, so I suppose I'll get comfy in the number two seat for now,” joked Nelson, who established the career record as a senior in 2004. “It's fantastic to see other setters hitting high notes like this. I hope ASU continues to snag great talent like Alex. It looks like they have big shoes to fill.”
 
Nelson came to Angelo State from San Antonio's East Central High School and broke Yami Garcia's assist record of 4,752 that had stood since 1990 and was a four-year starter for the Belles like Woolsey is now. Their careers have been eerily similar, including both players having 71 assists in matches against West Texas A&M. Former Angelo State volleyball coach and athletic director Kathleen Brasfield knows the importance of the setter position and how Nelson and Woolsey affected their teams. Nelson set the assists record in Brasfield's final year as the ASU head volleyball coach and she sees parallels between the two players.
 
“A great setter can make average attackers successful while a weaker setter can hamper even great attackers' success,” said Brasfield, who won 647 matches in her coaching career. “Alex and Amber make their teams better. Amber was, and Alex is, a great setter because they work to make the other players successful – whether it's setting a perfectly passed ball or making a weak pass a kill opportunity. I think both are very intelligent, so that certainly helps both make good decisions.” 
 
Woolsey has continued to improve her individual and team play throughout her career at ASU. She had 998 assists as a freshman, 1,135 as a sophomore and 1,558 last year as a junior. She is first in the Lone Star Conference and fourth in the nation right now with 12.14 assists per set and has helped lead the Belles to the brink of their first conference regular season title since 1992. Woolsey has averaged 10.63 assists per set in her career and has helped the Belles to 93 victories.
 
“There has always been a great group of hitters who have been here with me that has made my job a lot easier,” Woolsey said. “A setter cannot get assists without great hitters who finish off points. The record is cool, but I'm more concerned about winning championships right now.”
 
Coach Brasfield, who is in her first year of retirement, said that setters and coaches work together to make the team successful. She explains how setters and coaches must remain honest with each other and work through game-plan disagreements. ASU head coach Chuck Waddington agrees with Brasfield and is proud of the volleyball player that Woolsey has developed into.
 
“There are times when we argue with each other, but then we figure it out and the team is better for it,” Waddington said. “She knows what our expectations are for her and we all know that she means so much to this team's success. Watching her development the last four years has been incredible and that goes to her and the work ethic she has put into becoming a complete volleyball player.”
 
Woolsey
Woolsey and the Belles are currently ranked No. 9 in the nation, have a 24-3 overall record and are 17-1 in LSC play. A senior from Plano who is a two-time LSC first-team member and two-time LSC all-tournament selection, she has been instrumental in the team's surging progress the past four years and continues to become an overall threat on the floor. She leads ASU with 12 double-doubles this season – including performances that include 41 assists and 25 digs against St. Edward's and a 71 assist, 14 dig effort at West Texas A&M. Also a team captain this season and a LSC Commissioner's Honor Roll selection last year, Woolsey's development exceeds her staggering success on the court.
 
“I think I've matured a lot on the volleyball court and in my life,” said Woolsey, who has been selected as the LSC's Setter of the Week four times this season after earning it five times as a junior. “Being at Angelo State has really shaped who I've become as a student at school and as a leader in volleyball. I've really tried to become a better person and help other people instead of just worrying about my own life.”
 
Nelson has not met Woolsey, but sees her success from afar and is proud of the setter legacy that is continuing and in the ASU volleyball program which remains close to her heart. She also has a message for Woolsey as she approaches the record and the postseason.
 
“I have followed this season and am happy that the team is having such great success,” Nelson added. “Breaking records certainly isn't your primary goal in playing ball, but it's a nice way to cap off four years.”


Belle Quotes
 
Chelsea Gibson on the Alex Woolsey has had at ASU:
 
She delivers the ball really well and knows where the ball needs to be. She sees the other side of the court really well and gets the ball to the right players at the right time. She came in here a great setter but she has really developed to another level. She makes the hitter's job a lot easier.
 
Kaelen Valdez on the impact Alex Woolsey has on the Belles:
 
She is a big part of our team and always helps us on the court and off it. She is a leader and we love her. She takes control of the court in pressure situations and calms us all down with her play. She pulls us all together and gets us refocused.
 
 
Katie Coleman on the on-court play of Alex Woolsey:
 
She is really good at talking with us and telling us what she wants us to do on the court. She is great at delivering the ball and spreading it around to keep the other team always guessing.

 
Emily Booth on the leadership of Alex Woolsey:
 
Over the past four years she has really progressed into a great leader. She had leadership qualities from the start but she has really progressed and we wouldn't be where we are at right now without her.

 
Maddie Huth on Alex Woolsey's impact on the Belles:
 
She is a great leader and is a strong force on the court. She is always confident and drives us to win. I'm excited for her to get this record and will miss her a lot when she's not here next year.
 
 
Shelby Wilt on Alex Woolsey:
 
She distributes the ball well during the course of the game and is always mixing things up. She is really smart and connects with our hitters. She knows our team and where and who to get the ball to.
 
Alex Woolsey Gallery

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