In her second year on the varsity volleyball team Adriana Tyson helped lead the Pam Pack to the postseason for the first time in 15 years, and if the Washington middle hitter continues to progress there’s just no telling how far she can take the program in her final two seasons.
The 5’10” junior is blessed with natural talent, as her quickness allows her to cover a tremendous amount of ground on the back row, while her leaping ability and superior strength enables her to generate booming spikes at the net.
Tyson, who has been playing volleyball since the seventh grade, was well aware of Washington’s troubled history and said that she was ecstatic to be a part of the first Pam Pack team to make the playoffs since 1997.
“It felt really good,” Tyson said. “Especially as a freshman coming in with them having a losing record and then the following year being able to make the playoffs was great.”
Tyson, who has also starred on the Washington softball team since her freshman year, can seemingly do it all on the hardwood.
“Adriana’s athletic and she just has a lot of natural volleyball ability,” Washington’s third-year coach Kelly Slade said. “Her natural talent is just amazing and she works really hard at it. She plays club ball, she helps with the JV team, she helps me run the middle school clinics and volleyball camps. Whenever she’s not playing volleyball she’s somehow involved in volleyball.”
Tyson’s play and attitude has not only impacted Washington’s win column, but the other players as well.
“I think the younger girls really look up to her because her skills are advanced,” Slade said. “I think that when the players see someone as skilled as Adriana going out everyday trying to get better and working harder that it motivates them to do the same thing. She’s a great role model and sets a good example.”
Tyson has steadily improved each year since her freshman season and said that her increasing court awareness is the key.
“Being able to see the court and being able to see the blocker and work around the block is important,” Tyson said. “That’s the best way to get your points.”
Tyson has also been able to pick up points as a server thanks to her ability to deliver pinpoint accurate blast over the net.
“She’s a smart server. I gave our serving award last year,” Slade said. “She goes out and looks at the court and she’s really good at placing her serves. She does a phenomenal job of putting them in spots where she finds the holes.”
As the Pam Pack embarks on its journey back to the postseason, there’s no doubt that Tyson will be leading the charge.
“I think that Adriana will be a big part of helping us achieve another winning season and getting back to the state playoffs,” Slade said. “She’s a force at the net as middle hitter and when it comes to her turn at the front row she just leads the team in every way.”