You’re bound to see Stephanie Jurivich smile at some point during a volleyball game.
When things go right, there’s no mistaking her cheery grin for anything but sheer delight. Against Purdue last Friday, the redshirt freshman could do nothing wrong, smiling her way to a stellar performance: a team-leading 17 kills and .483 hitting percentage.
“She’s a very skilled player,” sophomore Julie Purcell said. “I think she’s a huge asset because she can block, and she’s an awesome hitter and can set, too.
“But I think she sometimes lacks confidence in herself.”
Therein lies the rub.
As much as Jurivich enjoys volleyball, she sometimes seems unsure of her abilities. For whatever reason, she was a wide-eyed freshman two weekends ago on the road — not the dominating player her team knows she can be.
“I think that a lot of my problems came from a lack of confidence on the court,” Jurivich said.
When she went to talk to coach Keylor Chan, she was comforted by his confidence in her.
“Everyone goes through natural cycles of highs and lows, and you’re going to have to learn to deal with that in your life,” Chan said. “It’s no different on the volleyball court, and she understands that.”
Jurivich and the Wildcats (7-11, 2-6 Big Ten) make their second Big Ten road trip of the season this weekend. Northwestern will travel to Michigan (14-5, 4-4) on Friday before going to Michigan State (6-10, 1-7) on Saturday.
Jurivich, like many of her teammates, struggled at the start of conference play. But she was encouraged to play through any inconsistent stretches, and as the team gained experience, things began to click.
Eventually the freshman returned to early-season form, when she recorded 31 kills in the team’s first two matches.
On a good night, Jurivich can fill up a box score. After her breakout game against Purdue, she made significant contributions on defense against Indiana, recording 19 digs and several blocks. Her 13 kills gave her a double-double, her third of the season but first since Sept. 5.
“She’s multitalented,” sophomore Lauren Greenwood said. “She can basically play every position and do them all well.”
Off the court, Jurivich provides comic relief. She’ll prance around and unintentionally run on her toes while flailing her arms. She earned the nickname DUI — as in “driving under the influence” — because of her knack for falling for no apparent reason.
