Press "Enter" to skip to content

Maria Drapp: Bradley freshman making an immediate winning impact

Image
Freshman Maria Drapp prepares to assist a teammate—photo courtesy of Bradley Athletics.

Bradley volleyball is in the middle of a strong season and is building a solid foundation with many key contributors. One of those players is standout freshman setter Maria Drapp, who has been crucial in helping the Braves secure wins.

Drapp, the Braves’ top freshman recruit this year, had high expectations from her coaches coming into college.

“I expected her to help our team win,” head coach Alicia Williams said. “She comes from winning programs, and she’s super competitive.”

So far, Drapp has done just that. She leads the team in aces with 27, helping guide the Braves to victory in tight sets that have had different results in the past.

“A lot of games last year were tight sets, and we lost,” Williams said. “For her to come in and be able to win tight sets and games was really important, and she’s brought that.”

Before Bradley

Drapp had a storied high school career at Mercy McAuley High School in Cincinnati, Ohio. Regarded as a top volleyball recruit for the class of 2024, she committed to Bradley prior to her junior year of high school.

“I chose to come to Bradley because of the team culture and wanting to be part of a new program,” Drapp said. “The coaching staff was new when I came here for recruiting, and I also like how high the academics are focused here.”

Drapp prepares to serve at Mercy Mcauley High School. Photo via Maria Drapp / Instagram.

Growing up in a family of volleyball players, Drapp developed a passion for the game at a young age.

“I have two older sisters that have also played in college, and my mom played college volleyball,” Drapp said. “I’ve been able to play the game my whole life and have been able to pick up skills from them.”

It was actually through one of Drapp’s siblings that she connected with Bradley.

“One of my former assistants knew her older sister because he coached her at Alabama, and he actually saw her first,” Williams said. “He told me to come watch her at a tournament, and I knew right away that we wanted to get her on.”

Winning mentality

A strong mentality is valuable to a player’s and team’s success. Drapp’s coaches and teammates have recognized her work ethic and drive to win.

“She’s a really good example of sometimes mentality and competitive drive outweigh skill,” Williams said. “We’ve had people with great skills but not necessarily the drive to the level that Maria does.”

“Maria has a long way to go in terms of developing her skills as a setter,” Williams added. “But she’s head and shoulders over so many others that we’ve had in terms of competitive tenacity.”

Entering a key role as a freshman can be challenging for some players, especially mentally. Drapp has found a way to keep her composure during games by relying on others.

“I would say my teammates are able to help me a lot,” Drapp said. “Just focusing on trusting the process that we do at practice and what my coaches have to teach me helps me stay composed throughout the whole game.”

Gamer

Being a great player doesn’t just come from having the right mindset. Drapp’s coaches have also noted that the ability to find ways to win in different situations is another crucial skill.

Drapp celebrates with her teammates after a score—photo courtesy of Aubrey Degnan.

“She has the IQ, she knows how to win the game,” Williams said. “She had sprained her ankle earlier this year, and she told me she was going to play. And she went in knowing that she wasn’t going to be able to jump set, yet she went back and got six aces.”

“She’s like, I’m just going to win this way then,” Williams added. “So she finds a way to win, and I think that is special, and for that I’d say she’s a gamer.”

Drapp still has a few years left as a Brave, but she’s already set goals for her time in Peoria.

“I think it would be great if we could make it to the Missouri Valley Conference tournament this year,” Drapp said. “And then, for my entire career, make a good run in the tournament and go to the NCAA tournament.”

The Braves are building a strong foundation for success for the remainder of this year, and in the long term, Drapp will be a crucial leader for the program over the next few seasons.

Be First to Comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Copyright © 2023, The Scout, Bradley University. All rights reserved.
The Scout is published by members of the student body of Bradley University. Opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect those of the University.