Today the OSN Spotlight, presented by Blackbeard Marine, shines on Elyse Berlin!
• Southern Nazarene volleyball
• Hometown: Red Oak, Texas
• Mathematics major expected to graduate May 2018
• Favorite teams: Dallas Mavericks, Dallas Cowboys, Texas Rangers
• Favorite sports moment – personal: “Playing Arkansas Tech is always fun because every time we’ve played them in the last three years it’s gone to five sets. Beating Arkansas Tech in their home gym this year will always be one of my favorite memories because each set was so close and intense, it felt like each point made a difference. Every time we beat them, it feels like redemption for my freshman year.”
• Favorite sports moment – overall: “This year, we lost early in the season in five sets to Oklahoma Baptist. We beat them the last game of the year on senior night. That game was so special because we played insanely well and swept them in three. It also brought a lot of meaning to our team because it was the first time Coach Ingram had beaten them in school history. That game proved to us that there wasn’t a conference team that we couldn’t beat.”
• What do you like most about SNU? “I like that people come here because it feels like home. It’s awesome because everyone becomes comfortable so quickly and it is easy to find groups where you belong. I love that I get to live in a small college town right next to a big city, so I get the best of both.”
• Who do you most look up to? “I most look up to my dad. He always left a place better than he found it and was always there to provide help to anyone who needed it. He pushed me to my limits and always made sure everyone felt included and appreciated. We used to go on long runs every day and we loved singing songs to each other, especially The Beatles.”
• Goals: “My goal is for me to take the pressure off my teammates. I want them to know that I am going to get the job done every set, every game. My goal is to frustrate the other team so that we are free to play our game and won’t have to stress about mistakes. And as long as we are mentioning it, I want to win another conference championship, tournament and regular season this time.”