The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/144506
Conquering Hero Lexi Erwin Helped Lead The Volleyball Team To Its First Final Four Appearance S By Michael Spath itting in a Panera Bread, opposite assistant coach Leisa Rosen, Lexi Erwin was in tears following Michigan's 3-1 loss at Nebraska Sept. 30. The Spring, Texas, native had shown to Female Athlete Of The Year Lexi Erwin be an early-season offensive threat in her junior campaign, recording double-digit kills in 14 of the Maize and Blue's first 16 matches and notching 20 points or more in four contests. But she had only two terminations in the defeat and was benched for the final set. Nine weeks later, she recorded a team-high 23 kills in leading Michigan to a 3-1 victory over No. 2 Stanford and the program's first ever spot in a Final Four. For her success in guiding U-M to unprecedented heights in the volleyball program's 40th year, Erwin has been named The Wolverine's 2012-13 Female Athlete of the Year. "We had a very tight-knit team this year, and Lexi was right in the middle of it, always bringing us all together," sophomore setter Lexi Dannemiller said. "She was the glue. And on the court, she was one of our primary go-to hitters. Any time I set her up, I knew I could count on her to get the kill." Erwin couldn't stop smiling when she learned of her recognition, immediately reflecting back on that early October day she met with Rosen, and how that conversation changed her entire outlook. "It was the worst game of my life, and I just had so many expectations that I felt I wasn't living up to," she said. "I just broke down and didn't know how I'd come back from that. "Leisa gave me some great advice. She told me I was too focused on myself and that I needed to start looking to my teammates. What could I do to help our freshmen and