When Ciara Capezio arrived in Ames to begin her collegiate volleyball career, ISU coach Christy Johnson-Lynch had no idea what the freshman’s impact on the team would be.

As with all freshman athletes, the transition period between high school and college athletics can be unpredictable.

“I knew what she was capable of, but you just never know how freshmen will come in,” Johnson-Lynch said. “It’s such a hard adjustment, so I was really happy that she was able to play as well as she did.”

Throughout the 2013 campaign, Capezio became an integral part of the ISU volleyball team.

Capezio was second on the team in kills with 273, only behind Mackenzie Bigbee’s 324 kills. Capezio was also fourth on the team in blocks and digs, and she led the team with 35 services aces.

Johnson-Lynch especially liked Capezio’s backcourt play and her ability to pass in every rotation. This year, however, the coach said she expects Capezio to be even more of a go-to player offensively.

“Her backcourt was just as important as anything to us, and she was a really good offensive player, and I think we’re going to see more of that this season,” Johnson-Lynch said. “As her stats continue to climb, I think we will rely on her more and more.”

Capezio also had to deal with a hampering foot injury throughout the end of last season, which makes her high level of play even more impressive.

This year, after recovering from an off-season foot surgery, the team is expecting big things from Capezio during her sophomore campaign.

“She kind of had to limp through the end of the season, and I think [now] she’s feeling as healthy as she’s ever felt,” Johnson-Lynch said. “To see what she can do with a healthy body is going to be fun to see.”

As Capezio prepares for her second season at Iowa State, the expectations have risen.

After a freshman year, where she wasn’t necessarily expecting to have as significant of a role as she ultimately had, Capezio feels that the experience has better prepared her for this season.

“I did not expect to have that much pressure on my shoulders to start off, but I feel having that pressure actually made me grow more as a player,” Capezio said.

As Capezio continues to grow into a bigger role, and become a player the team relies on heavily, her leadership role will also increase.

Now preparing for her sophomore campaign, Capezio is stepping into a leadership role as one of the main hitters on the team.

“This year I have a bigger leadership role, not as big as [Victoria] Hurtt and the seniors, but being a main hitter, I feel that I have that more of that leadership role also,” Capezio said.

If Capezio continues to deliver like she did last season, Johnson-Lynch said that her kill opportunities will continue to rise.

Some might worry a little bit with the team being so dependent on a sophomore athlete, but the team has no worries when it comes to Capezio.

“As a freshman, you can be a little shaky at times, but [Capezio] has been under that pressure and can handle it,” said teammate Natalie Vondrak. “I think a little more pressure is on her shoulders [this year], but we have all the confidence in her.”