Lindsay Vortherms describes herself as a person who will do whatever it takes to get the job done. A very aggressive person, if you will.  After missing last season entirely, Vortherms has come back and taken on a leadership role on this year's volleyball team, a team that has no seniors. 

Vortherms jokes that she had to do a lot of “mental imagery” to prepare for the 2008 season since she wasn't able to do anything physically. That situation would be frustrating for any athlete, but Vortherms has made sure to make this season count even more than ever. She has stepped into a leadership role, and she believes she makes a good leader for the team because she is a vocal leader and gets along with her teammates. She also says she's not afraid to speak her mind and is willing to help out her teammates.

“Everyone looks up to me because I'm the oldest,” she joked.

Vortherms is a libero, or defensive specialist, with the volleyball team. She plays her entire time on the court in the back row and doesn't count as a substitute. The position is allowed to serve in the NCAA. The libero is typically the most skilled defensive player on the team.

However, Vortherms did not start out her volleyball career as a libero. At Windom High School, she played her career as a hitter. About the position switch, Vortherms said, “I personally like dirty work. I would much rather be passing than hitting, and I like playing defense, so switching positions didn't bother me at all.”

It didn't bother UND either. This season, the junior became the 13^th member of UND's 1,000 Dig Club and will look to move up on that list for the rest of her collegiate career. She anchors the defense and averages 4.51 digs per game with 424 digs this season. Vortherms play at her position has earned her three all-tournament team honors in tournaments this season, most recently at the Seattle University Dig for a Cure Classic. 

“At the Seattle tournament, we played a lot of good teams, one of which was the University of South Dakota, who we just lost to over the recently," Vortherms said. "It was probably one of the best tournaments we've played in this year along with the Towson Tournament in Maryland.”

The season has been challenging, yet rewarding for the volleyball team. Vortherms says the most challenging part of this season has been being challenged to play Division I teams. She says most of their players are a lot bigger. The Sioux have set themselves up to get up to their level, and Vortherms believes they showed they could do it when they won the Towson tournament in Maryland. 

The Sioux lost in four sets to South Dakota last weekend, but look to avenge the previous two losses this weekend, Nov. 8, when USD comes to Grand Forks for a match.

“They have a really quick offense," Vortherms said. "We need to adjust better as blockers, as it's tough to defend them because they're so quick. They're also tough because they also play really good defense.”

The final action this season for the Sioux is the Bryant National Transitional Tourney in Smithfield, R.I., on Friday, Nov. 14.  Vortherms said the teams at that tournament include a lot of the same teams that were at the Seattle tournament, and they are all teams transitioning to Division I like the Sioux.

Looking ahead to the future, Vortherms says there are very high expectations for the team next season.

“We're a very good team, but we're young," Vortherms said. "We had no seniors this year, and we got a lot of experience, and next year we hope to be unstoppable.”