Jill Sawatzky
EVERYDAY CHAMPION: JILL SAWATZKY She’s been named to the Pac-10 All-Academic First Team twice having to only count a pair of B’s and an A- to otherwise perfect report card. But senior outside hitter Jill Sawatzky hasn’t only excelled in the classroom but also in on the volleyball court and devoted time to the community. Hailing from St. Andrews, Manitoba, Canada, Sawatzky has been a fan favorite from day one as the second outside hitter for the past three years alongside former All-American Rachel Rourke. But now as a senior, she’s leading the team in kills and points, while working her way up in the Oregon State record books. And she’s one of the team’s three senior captains. A business major, Sawatzky’s not sure yet where her degree will take her, but she’s open to whatever may come her way. But until June comes, her focus is on the classroom and her final season as part of the team as the Beavers host the Washington schools this weekend to open Pac-10 play. “My personal goal is to lead the team to the NCAA Tournament, and our team goal right now is to get better every point we play in every game,” Sawatzky said. “The support of Beaver Nation is so important to this program. We love having the fans out, and it’s such a great atmosphere when we have fans out. We get excited when we have a crowd, and it really helps get our energy up for the games. Beaver Nation, I’d just like to say thank you for all of your support so far. It’s great having you out. Thank you.”
the country, and I knew one of the players on the team from experience I had with her at a tryout before. But I didn’t know much about the team. So a lot of it was new to me. What about Oregon State was different than other schools? What’s different about Oregon State is the coaching style they have here. I visited a bunch of schools, but Terry’s coaching philosophy is what set this school apart from a bunch of the other schools. I love how he treats you like a person, and he respects you. And it’s just fun to play for him in that aspect. Are you involved any activities outside of volleyball and school? And what do you like to do for fun. Outside of athletics, I’m involved in a leadership group called SAAC (Student-Athlete Advisory Committee), and it’s where a bunch of student-athletes get together representing each of the sports here at OSU to talk about community service opportunities and how to get athletics involved in the community in other ways. Outside of school and athletics, we basically still hang out with the team. We go to movies and kind of just hang out. There’s a good yogurt place in town that we like to go to.
What do you miss most about Canada? What I miss most about Canada is obviously my friends and family that I don’t get to see that much anymore. But I also miss the snow. I’m a snow girl, so I miss it getting cold in the winter. You come from an athletic family. How did your parents get you involved in sports? My little sister plays volleyball at Texas A&M. Our parents got us involved in sports at a really young age. I mean I did everything as a kid - swimming, gymnastics and ice skating. And in high school we did basketball, track and field, volleyball and softball. So our parents just kind of let us do whatever we wanted. So then why volleyball? I decided on volleyball because it was what I was best at and had the most fun doing. I like the rest of them, but volleyball was what I could be the best at in the end. What’s the best thing about playing for Terry Liskevych? The best thing about playing for Terry is how he treats you as a person. He doesn’t yell at you or talk down to you. He respects you, and he treats you like he would treat any other staff member or person that he comes to. He’s also super knowledgeable about the game, and he has so much to offer us as players.
Why did you choose Oregon State? I came to Oregon State because of Terry, basically. When he recruited me I trusted him. He was just a coach I knew I’d really like to play for, and he so much knowledge about the game. I also loved the campus, and the team was great. What did you know about Oregon State before coming to Corvallis? Coming in I didn’t know that much about Oregon State, actually. I knew it was in the Pac10, which was one of the best conferences in
What do you see as the qualities of an Everyday Champion? And how will you be able to incorporate it into your life after graduation? To me, an Everyday Champion is a wellrounded athlete, an athlete who doesn’t just excel in their sport but also academically and in the community. After I graduate I’ll be able to take what I’ve learned in athletics in all aspects of my life. It’s taught me to be a leader and a team player. It just has taught me so many different things that I’ll be able to take into my job and into my personal life.
Jill Sawatzky hails from Canada and is one of three team captains for the Beavers this season
What kind of captain are you? Being one of the three team captains this year, I find myself being more like the lead by example type captain. I’m not the loudest person, but I like to show everyone how to get it done.
the country, and I knew one of the players on the team from experience I had with her at a tryout before. But I didn’t know much about the team. So a lot of it was new to me. What about Oregon State was different than other schools? What’s different about Oregon State is the coaching style they have here. I visited a bunch of schools, but Terry’s coaching philosophy is what set this school apart from a bunch of the other schools. I love how he treats you like a person, and he respects you. And it’s just fun to play for him in that aspect. Are you involved any activities outside of volleyball and school? And what do you like to do for fun. Outside of athletics, I’m involved in a leadership group called SAAC (Student-Athlete Advisory Committee), and it’s where a bunch of student-athletes get together representing each of the sports here at OSU to talk about community service opportunities and how to get athletics involved in the community in other ways. Outside of school and athletics, we basically still hang out with the team. We go to movies and kind of just hang out. There’s a good yogurt place in town that we like to go to.
What do you miss most about Canada? What I miss most about Canada is obviously my friends and family that I don’t get to see that much anymore. But I also miss the snow. I’m a snow girl, so I miss it getting cold in the winter. You come from an athletic family. How did your parents get you involved in sports? My little sister plays volleyball at Texas A&M. Our parents got us involved in sports at a really young age. I mean I did everything as a kid - swimming, gymnastics and ice skating. And in high school we did basketball, track and field, volleyball and softball. So our parents just kind of let us do whatever we wanted. So then why volleyball? I decided on volleyball because it was what I was best at and had the most fun doing. I like the rest of them, but volleyball was what I could be the best at in the end. What’s the best thing about playing for Terry Liskevych? The best thing about playing for Terry is how he treats you as a person. He doesn’t yell at you or talk down to you. He respects you, and he treats you like he would treat any other staff member or person that he comes to. He’s also super knowledgeable about the game, and he has so much to offer us as players.
Why did you choose Oregon State? I came to Oregon State because of Terry, basically. When he recruited me I trusted him. He was just a coach I knew I’d really like to play for, and he so much knowledge about the game. I also loved the campus, and the team was great. What did you know about Oregon State before coming to Corvallis? Coming in I didn’t know that much about Oregon State, actually. I knew it was in the Pac10, which was one of the best conferences in
What do you see as the qualities of an Everyday Champion? And how will you be able to incorporate it into your life after graduation? To me, an Everyday Champion is a wellrounded athlete, an athlete who doesn’t just excel in their sport but also academically and in the community. After I graduate I’ll be able to take what I’ve learned in athletics in all aspects of my life. It’s taught me to be a leader and a team player. It just has taught me so many different things that I’ll be able to take into my job and into my personal life.
Jill Sawatzky hails from Canada and is one of three team captains for the Beavers this season
What kind of captain are you? Being one of the three team captains this year, I find myself being more like the lead by example type captain. I’m not the loudest person, but I like to show everyone how to get it done.
