By Dave Johnson

Time was when Alyssa Dozier, whose name appears throughout the CNU volleyball record book, was unsure of herself. Any mistake would result in a glance to the sideline for guidance. Sometimes it wouldn't even be a mistake, even if she thought it was.

That was Dozier's freshman season, and Captains coach Lindsay Birch made sure to put an end to it.

"If I hit a ball out, I'd look at her like, 'What do I do?'" said Dozier, a senior middle blocker. "She talked to me at our end-of-year meeting and said, 'I really want you to work on that. I don't want to be your crutch.' 

"She was trying to give me my own confidence and independence in my own play. Now when I make a mistake, I'm like, 'Woops, I'll do better.'"

Dozier, a major reason why CNU is back in the NCAA tournament for the 18^th consecutive year, always does better.

In the CNU record book, Dozier is among the top 10 in nine career categories. That includes kills (sixth, 1,307), attack percentage (fourth, .318), total blocks (second, 478) and points (fourth, 1,686).

Last week, Dozier became the first player to be named Coast-To-Coast Player of the Year in three consecutive seasons. (That goes back to 1991, when the conference began as the Capital Athletic). She was also selected Defensive Player of the Year and Scholar-Athlete of the Year.

"Overall, I think she's the most dominant player we've ever had as far as putting the team on her back and us winning because of her performance," Birch said. "At least during my coaching tenure (2002-present) and the four years (1998-2001) I played here."

Dozier set the bar high from the start, but she's managed to clear it each season. Her kills, for example, have risen from 1.83 per set as a freshman to 2.74 as a sophomore, 2.99 as a junior and 3.52 as a senior. All while being the focal point of every opposing defense.

And all while having three different setters in four seasons. Sammy Carroll was there for Dozier's freshman and sophomore years. Then came grad transfer Alyssa Vitale last season and freshman Fielding Croft this year.

"It took us a while to get used to each other because every middle, especially, you have to set them differently," Dozier said. "Some people need it a little higher, some people need it to the left or right.

"It's a very particular and hard set to perfect. But all of them have done such a good job spreading out our offense."

At 5-foot-11, Dozier has good (not great) height for a middle blocker. What helps set her apart is her athleticism. Dozier can grab the rim on a 10-foot basketball goal, which she does every so often to make sure she can still do it. That would put her vertical leap around 32 inches.

She's also been efficient and versatile. In her last 16 matches, Dozier has 211 kills (3.9 per set) with 34 errors in 403 attacks for a percentage of .439. All while averaging nearly four blocks a match.

Growing up in Arlington, Dozier played just about every sport imaginable. Being taller than most of her female classmates, she was steered toward volleyball and basketball.

Dozier began playing club volleyball when she was 14. Two years later, she joined Virginia Elite, which boasts a "100% placement rate," in Alexandria. And sure enough, she found her place at CNU.

"Her freshman year, we weren't sure what position she'd play," Birch said. "She is such a unicorn in our world because she jumps so high and is such a physical threat. She played some on the right side and some in the middle, and I ultimately decided to put her in the middle because I knew she would score offensively more there.

"By the end of her freshman year, we knew she was a middle. And she just took off."

Not just on the court, but in the classroom. Dozier is double majoring in history and political science, and after graduating in the spring she plans to attend grad school. Her plan is to get a Master of Education.

"I've been wanting to be a teacher for a really long time," she said. "I had some time where I thought I might go to the State Department or maybe Homeland Security, but I'm pretty excited about the idea of teaching.

"I want to get my Masters in social science 6^th through 12^th grade. And from there, get my Virginia teachers license and start teaching AP Government or AP history in high school."

Graduation is only six months away. After leaving, there will be so much she'll miss. Like walks around the campus. The Fireside Lounge. And trips with her teammates to Sushi King, and all-you-can-eat smorgasbord on Jefferson Ave.

And, of course, her coach.

"She's really built this program up, and she's been such a good coach to so many different women," Dozier said. "She really pushed me to be a better player in so many ways."