The 2019 season was undoubtedly a historic one for Tiffin volleyball, and few players had as much of a hand in that as starting libero Sam Fallis.

The Dragons finished with a 19-13 overall mark and 10-2 conference record that secured the two-seed in the Great Midwest Athletic Conference tournament, resulting in Tiffin's first time ever hosting a conference playoff match. The Dragons also advanced to the GMAC title game, coming one win away from the program's first NCAA Tournament appearance.

Fallis started all 32 matches during her sophomore campaign, leading the team and finished second in the GMAC with 600 total digs and 5.08 digs per set. She also led the team with 39 aces on the year and finished second with 85 assists. At the end of the season, Fallis was named Second Team All-GMAC.

Volleyball has been a part of the Toledo native's life for as long as she can remember. Her dad has been a coach for 25 years, so she grew up around the sport and was immersed in it from the very beginning.

"I was in the gym since I was able to walk," said Fallis. "My parents used to put me in the ball carts during practices."

All of that time spent in the gym proved dividends for Fallis in high school, earning First Team All-Conference and First Team All-District nods both as a junior and a senior, as well as the Northern Lakes League Libero of the Year honor as a junior and Honorable Mention All-Ohio as a senior. That resulted in many looks from universities across the region, including Tiffin's head coach Shauna Hurles.

"Sam is an awesome person," said Hurles. "She is full of energy all of the time. Her defensive effort, work ethic, and the way she carried herself on the court is really what drew us to her."

Fallis had aspirations of playing at big Division I programs like Michigan or local Toledo, but after many visits she decided that the large schools weren't for her and she was more of a small-town person.

"When I came to Tiffin, I really liked how small the campus and class sizes were," said Fallis. "I just really loved the coaching staff, the players that were already here were very welcoming, and it just felt like home."

Fallis has fit right in with the Dragons from the very beginning, playing in all but six sets over her two years, and proving why the coaching staff was right to take an interest in her.

"I was really impressed by how we ended last season. We had lost senior players from the year before that had key roles on the team, and then we struggled at the start. We really pulled it out though and had a great ending to the season, giving Hillsdale a good run for their money in the conference title game."

The Dragons were looking to build off of that success and use the spring season to continue to improve, but the COVID-19 pandemic hit right before the spring slate was about to start. The team had already been practicing for a month and was about to go to its first tournament, but in the blink of an eye all students were sent home, classes moved online, and all activities, including volleyball, were postponed indefinitely.

"I just went home and had to take care of all of my classes and training from home," said Fallis. "I also had to find a different summer job than in previous years because my job at a sports complex didn't open up. I ended up with a job at a greenhouse and that was a good part of my training for the summer because of the lifting and other things that I had to do there."

What had originally seemed like it would just be a few months of a hiatus turned into much longer in early August when the NCAA Division II Fall Championships were canceled and the GMAC fall season was postponed to the spring.

"The girls were just ready for an answer and for everything to stop changing," said Hurles. "Once we knew that we were moving to the spring we just started preparing."

The postponement of the fall, while disheartening at first, has turned into somewhat of a positive opportunity for the team.

"We are in a unique situation where we have time to truly get our freshman prepared for the season and not just 'thrown to the wolves'," said Hurles. "We have been taking advantage of this weird opportunity in front of us."

"There are a lot of spots open that will be fought for and need to be filled, and giving the newcomers more time to settle in and learn our system will be very helpful," added Fallis.

The spring schedule has not yet been announced, but Fallis and the Dragons are sure to be ready when matches resume. For her part, Fallis is simply ready and excited for the chance to compete again, and seeing what new heights the program can achieve.

"My goals for Sam this year start with getting to her 1,000th career dig," said Hurles. "I want for teams to be constantly telling their hitters: 'Do not hit it at Tiffin's libero'."

Just a junior, Fallis will have another season to play after this upcoming campaign. Upon graduation, she plans on being a victims advocate, specifically with children.

"My main focus is with younger children because there are such horrible things that can happen to them, and they often have no idea what is going on or how to respond or cope with the hardships," said Fallis. "It's really heartbreaking for me, so I just want to focus on trying to get them back into the swing of things and moving towards a better life."

If her first two years as a Dragon are any indication, Fallis is sure to be successful during her final two seasons on the court and in whatever comes her way in the future.