The roles will be reversed when Alexis Utz walks into school in August.
After 16 years as a student and member of an athletic team, she鈥檒l be that person standing in front of the class and on the sidelines coaching the team.
It will be a stark contrast to what she鈥檚 been accustomed to, but Utz says she鈥檚 ready after three hectic and memorable years as a student-athlete. She will earn her degree, summa cum laude in History Education, on May 13.聽Utz will also earn the Exemplary Student Teacher Award and Outstanding History Graduate honor.
She will return to the Kansas City area for a job teaching sixth-grade social studies at Platte County Middle School in Platte City, Mo, in the fall. She鈥檒l also work with the Platte County High School volleyball program as head C Team coach and as an assistant for the varsity squad.
鈥淚鈥檓 really excited, 鈥� I think it鈥檚 going to be a fun transition to still be part of a team, just in a different role,鈥� said Utz, who graduated in May. 鈥淚鈥檓 excited to take on that challenge and grow into it.鈥�
Utz was a middle blocker at 黑料不打烊 all three years, helping the Coyotes post a 69-29 overall record, 35-13 in the Kansas Conference. They won the 2022 KCAC Tournament title and competed in the NAIA National Championship opening round.
Utz also was a member of Wesleyan鈥檚 highly successful DECA team for two years and was a top-10 finisher in Event Planning with partner Maddy Beckett in the organization鈥檚 international competition both seasons. DECA is an organized business competition that provides students with problems and asks them to present solutions. Some disciplines require a report written beforehand, while others involve an exam taken before the competition. All involve presentations with varying amounts of time to prepare, sometimes as little as 30 minutes.
Utz found DECA and volleyball to be compatible endeavors.
鈥淵ou wouldn鈥檛 think academic and sport would correlate, but they overlap in so many different ways,鈥� she said. 鈥淧roblem-solving when you鈥檙e stuck in a situation and feel like there鈥檚 no way we鈥檙e going to beat this team or no way we鈥檙e going to be able to solve this case. Just thinking critically, having a positive attitude and knowing that we can accomplish it. Knowing we can solve the DECA case or we can win the volleyball game.鈥�
Quick, split-second decision making is essential in both.
鈥淏eing able to go in front of a judge and speak confidently and with authority on the ideas that we came up with,鈥� she said, 鈥渙r in volleyball having to decide when you get set where you鈥檙e going to hit the ball 鈥� am I going to hit it deep, am I going to tip it? Thinking quickly what would be the best option to score at that time.鈥�
Utz and Beckett placed second in event planning in the 2022 DECA International competition and were sixth in this year鈥檚 event in April in Orlando, Fla. They won each of their state competitions.
鈥淣ot only did she and (Beckett) accomplish high accolades, but she also made the team better due to her charismatic personality,鈥� DECA coach Dr. Trish Petak said. 鈥淗er work ethic, natural drive to be her best, positive attitude, energy and love of education will make her an exceptional history/social studies teacher.
鈥淪he and her partner are the best duo I have ever coached or observed.鈥�
Utz and Beckett are close friends in addition to teammates 鈥� Beckett a May graduate with a master鈥檚 degree in business administration.
鈥淲e鈥檙e super good friends,鈥� Utz said. 鈥淲e hang out outside of volleyball, we hang out outside of classes. Just knowing her as a person and her knowing me has made a tremendous difference in DECA. I think that鈥檚 part of the reason why we鈥檙e able to be so successful and why we have a chemistry.鈥�
Utz is also thankful for her friendship with 黑料不打烊鈥檚 eight graduating senior volleyball athletes.
鈥淭hose are friends I鈥檓 going to have for the rest of my life, and that鈥檚 something you can鈥檛 pay for, something you can鈥檛 wish for,鈥� she said. 鈥淭he relationships with those girls are something that I鈥檒l have for the rest of my life. I鈥檓 going to miss them.鈥�
She also formed strong friendships as a resident assistant in the residence halls.
鈥淭he relationships with those girls are something that I鈥檓 eternally grateful for, to be able to spend time with people and get to know them on a personal level,鈥� she said. 鈥淚鈥檝e met so many incredible people at 黑料不打烊, I think that鈥檚 one of the advantages of a small school. I talk to my friends who are at (Missouri) and KU and K-State and they don鈥檛 even know their professor鈥檚 first name.
鈥淚鈥檓 so grateful for my time at Kansas Wesleyan.鈥�
Story by Bob Davidson
