Suseland finds match in Millersville, elevates team to next level
9/25/2019 8:00:00 AM | Women's Volleyball, Features
MILLERSVILLE, Pa. - Brian Smith was skeptical. After all, 6-foot-3 all-conference hitters with 500 kills and a career .300 hitting percentage from a Division II power conference don't just ask to join your team every day.
What's the catch? Where are the red flags?
Jayci Suseland was skeptical too. Millersville was nothing like the 22,000-student school she had attended for two years. Suseland wasn't even sure that she wanted to continue playing volleyball, let alone at Millersville--a nine-hour road trip from her home in tiny Schoolcraft, Mich.
On paper, Suseland was the missing component for a young, up-and-coming team. But Smith knew that there is always a reason that a player transfers, and he couldn't chance upsetting the chemistry of a group that included Lindsey Blevins, Haley Butler, Katie Laughman and Kat Forry—a core that had played together and was only getting better.
"I had to do due diligence on my end," said Smith. "I looked at the statistics. She led the team in kills as a freshman. Her hitting percentage and efficiency was outstanding. From a volleyball perspective, she was legit—over-legit. The next logical question is, 'why leave?' I had to have a conversation with Jayci. I reached out to the coach but didn't get a reply. I'm wondering if she is a problem or maybe that team was just looking to change its style. I had to take a leap of faith. I'm a believer in second chances but I didn't see anything in black and white that was an issue. I just felt like that if there was a place to come, with our team environment and with our coaching staff that cares about the players, I thought it would be a good match for both us."
Suseland grew up in a small farming community where detasseling corn was the first job for every child. She joined 4-H when she turned eight and began training and successfully showing horses at fairs—a hobby she still enjoys. Jayci's older sister, Alex, met her future husband showing horses at a state fair. It just so happens that Alex's husband, Jayci's brother in-law, grew up in Manheim, Pa., a short 14 miles drive up Route 72 from Millersville University. So when Suseland considered transferring, Alex had an idea.
Suseland often visited Alex and her niece and nephews on winter and summer breaks but had still never heard of Millersville until Alex's pitch.
"I didn't love [volleyball] anymore after my sophomore year," said Suseland. "When I made the decision to leave I had to decide if I wanted to keep playing. I'm not a quitter so I knew I would really regret it if I didn't play. But if I was going to keep playing I wanted to be sure that I was somewhere where the team and coaching environment was a good fit for me."
Just as Smith did his due diligence, Suseland did her own investigating.
"When my sister told me about Millersville, I looked at the website, looked at the roster and read some articles. I watched the video in Coach Smith's bio, and I just felt like I could talk to him and be coached by him," said Suseland. "He asked me lots of questions about why I was interested in Millersville. He wanted to make sure I wanted to come for the right reasons. In a coach, I didn't want someone who acted superior to the players. Moving so far away and not seeing my parents much I wanted a family—someone to look out for you when no one else can."
Uncertain, Suseland visited campus three separate times. For one of Suseland's visits during winter break, Blevins and Forry drove to Millersville from their homes in York County to meet her. That's when Suseland knew she would be a Marauder.
"For them to come to campus on winter break just to talk to me, I knew then that they would be good teammates. That's what I was looking for."
Smith's instincts were correct. Suseland's fit with the team was seamless, both on and off the court. In competition, the Marauders won the PSAC Southeast Division in 2018—the team's first division title since 1999. Suseland became the first Marauder since 2005 named AVCA All-Atlantic Region, and she picked up an All-America honorable mention. Through 13 matches in 2019, the Marauders are 10-3 and riding a nine-match winning streak—the longest at Millersville since 1995. Two of three losses came to nationally ranked teams. Suseland has also won back-to-back PSAC Southeast Athlete of the Week awards.
Outside of the gym, the entire team is a constant presence at nearly every home Millersville athletic event, posting group selfies on the team's Instagram story and streaming a round of karaoke to the world on a bus trip back to campus. It's the friendship and family that Suseland hoped for and realized at Millersville. It's a trust that carries onto the court.
"The biggest thing is trusting each other," said Suseland. "Everyone sees how the rally ends and notices the player who gets the kill. But it starts way before that with the pass and the set, players getting digs, [Laughman] running around and putting the ball exactly where it needs to go. You have to trust the passers and [Laughman] to make the right decision. I'm just the last person to touch the ball. It's my job to reward them by putting it down."
Suseland does just that at a staggering rate. In 2018, Suseland led the PSAC in kills (4.05 per set) and ranked third in hitting percentage despite owning 200 more attempts than any other player in the top eight. So far in 2019, Suseland's Marauders rank second in the league in hitting percentage, and she ranks second at a .362 clip on 340 attempts. Only eight players in the league boast a hitting percentage of over .300, and Suseland is the only player in that group with at least 300 attacks. In her last six matches, Suseland has totaled a staggering 72 kills to just four errors. The only other player in program history with a qualifying career hitting percentage over .300 is hall of famer Abby Hafer (1992-95).
"Jayci has good vision," said Smith. "There a lot of players who are constantly watching the ball. They are not using their vision. Jayci will see the set then look at the defense. We were recently in practice, and I see a giant gap cross court and with her approach I think 'surely she is going to hammer this cross court.' At the last second, she saw a blocker, changed her arm direction and hit a nice ball down the line. Her vision is her best weapon."
Opponents are fully aware of Suseland's abilities, but that only creates opportunities for her teammates and translates to wins. As the 2018 season wore on, teams keyed on Suseland. Blevins and Butler took advantage. Blevins produced an All-PSAC season as a sophomore, and Butler sparked the Marauders' attack during a five-match winning streak to end the regular season, posting a season-high 15 kills in the PSAC Tournament against top-seeded Shippensburg.
"That is something that will continue to happen this year," said Suseland. "Teams know I'm going to get sets. I'm not worried about it because we have efficient hitters everywhere."
"The philosophy is to get the ball to the player with the best opportunity to terminate," said Smith. "That could be a blocking match-up or maybe the player has a hot hand. We definitely want to make an effort to get the ball to [Suseland], but because she is such a focal point for the other team defensively, our other players benefit. She is a great option or a great decoy."
Suseland's impact has elevated expectations at Millersville. With Suseland and every other starter returning from last season's division-championship team, there is a goal of an NCAA Tournament appearance—something not accomplished at Millersville since 1995. Millersville likely came up five wins shy of the tournament in 2018. Yet consider that a severe ankle sprain kept Suseland out of key matches against Cal U and Seton Hill (both NCAA Tournament teams). There were two four-set losses early in the season to non-conference opponents, a four-set loss to Shepherd (now in the PSAC Southeast) and three other five-set losses to PSAC teams. A year more seasoned and improved, and a Millersville postseason run isn't all that unrealistic.
Suseland and the Marauders are rolling as they entering PSAC play, which starts with a road trip to Cal U and Seton Hill this weekend. Regardless of what happens over the remaining 19 regular season matches, Suseland knows that her decision to come to Millersville and continue her volleyball career was right.
"Coming here, it feels like home even though I am so far from home."
--
Suseland, a PSAC Scholar-Athlete in 2018-19, is tracking toward a biology degree with possible pursuit of a career as a veterinarian. Suseland spent her last three summers working as an intern at a large animal vet clinic in Michigan.
What's the catch? Where are the red flags?
Jayci Suseland was skeptical too. Millersville was nothing like the 22,000-student school she had attended for two years. Suseland wasn't even sure that she wanted to continue playing volleyball, let alone at Millersville--a nine-hour road trip from her home in tiny Schoolcraft, Mich.
On paper, Suseland was the missing component for a young, up-and-coming team. But Smith knew that there is always a reason that a player transfers, and he couldn't chance upsetting the chemistry of a group that included Lindsey Blevins, Haley Butler, Katie Laughman and Kat Forry—a core that had played together and was only getting better.
"I had to do due diligence on my end," said Smith. "I looked at the statistics. She led the team in kills as a freshman. Her hitting percentage and efficiency was outstanding. From a volleyball perspective, she was legit—over-legit. The next logical question is, 'why leave?' I had to have a conversation with Jayci. I reached out to the coach but didn't get a reply. I'm wondering if she is a problem or maybe that team was just looking to change its style. I had to take a leap of faith. I'm a believer in second chances but I didn't see anything in black and white that was an issue. I just felt like that if there was a place to come, with our team environment and with our coaching staff that cares about the players, I thought it would be a good match for both us."
Suseland grew up in a small farming community where detasseling corn was the first job for every child. She joined 4-H when she turned eight and began training and successfully showing horses at fairs—a hobby she still enjoys. Jayci's older sister, Alex, met her future husband showing horses at a state fair. It just so happens that Alex's husband, Jayci's brother in-law, grew up in Manheim, Pa., a short 14 miles drive up Route 72 from Millersville University. So when Suseland considered transferring, Alex had an idea.
Suseland often visited Alex and her niece and nephews on winter and summer breaks but had still never heard of Millersville until Alex's pitch.
"I didn't love [volleyball] anymore after my sophomore year," said Suseland. "When I made the decision to leave I had to decide if I wanted to keep playing. I'm not a quitter so I knew I would really regret it if I didn't play. But if I was going to keep playing I wanted to be sure that I was somewhere where the team and coaching environment was a good fit for me."
Just as Smith did his due diligence, Suseland did her own investigating.
"When my sister told me about Millersville, I looked at the website, looked at the roster and read some articles. I watched the video in Coach Smith's bio, and I just felt like I could talk to him and be coached by him," said Suseland. "He asked me lots of questions about why I was interested in Millersville. He wanted to make sure I wanted to come for the right reasons. In a coach, I didn't want someone who acted superior to the players. Moving so far away and not seeing my parents much I wanted a family—someone to look out for you when no one else can."
Uncertain, Suseland visited campus three separate times. For one of Suseland's visits during winter break, Blevins and Forry drove to Millersville from their homes in York County to meet her. That's when Suseland knew she would be a Marauder.
"For them to come to campus on winter break just to talk to me, I knew then that they would be good teammates. That's what I was looking for."
Smith's instincts were correct. Suseland's fit with the team was seamless, both on and off the court. In competition, the Marauders won the PSAC Southeast Division in 2018—the team's first division title since 1999. Suseland became the first Marauder since 2005 named AVCA All-Atlantic Region, and she picked up an All-America honorable mention. Through 13 matches in 2019, the Marauders are 10-3 and riding a nine-match winning streak—the longest at Millersville since 1995. Two of three losses came to nationally ranked teams. Suseland has also won back-to-back PSAC Southeast Athlete of the Week awards.
Outside of the gym, the entire team is a constant presence at nearly every home Millersville athletic event, posting group selfies on the team's Instagram story and streaming a round of karaoke to the world on a bus trip back to campus. It's the friendship and family that Suseland hoped for and realized at Millersville. It's a trust that carries onto the court.
"The biggest thing is trusting each other," said Suseland. "Everyone sees how the rally ends and notices the player who gets the kill. But it starts way before that with the pass and the set, players getting digs, [Laughman] running around and putting the ball exactly where it needs to go. You have to trust the passers and [Laughman] to make the right decision. I'm just the last person to touch the ball. It's my job to reward them by putting it down."
Suseland does just that at a staggering rate. In 2018, Suseland led the PSAC in kills (4.05 per set) and ranked third in hitting percentage despite owning 200 more attempts than any other player in the top eight. So far in 2019, Suseland's Marauders rank second in the league in hitting percentage, and she ranks second at a .362 clip on 340 attempts. Only eight players in the league boast a hitting percentage of over .300, and Suseland is the only player in that group with at least 300 attacks. In her last six matches, Suseland has totaled a staggering 72 kills to just four errors. The only other player in program history with a qualifying career hitting percentage over .300 is hall of famer Abby Hafer (1992-95).
"Jayci has good vision," said Smith. "There a lot of players who are constantly watching the ball. They are not using their vision. Jayci will see the set then look at the defense. We were recently in practice, and I see a giant gap cross court and with her approach I think 'surely she is going to hammer this cross court.' At the last second, she saw a blocker, changed her arm direction and hit a nice ball down the line. Her vision is her best weapon."
Opponents are fully aware of Suseland's abilities, but that only creates opportunities for her teammates and translates to wins. As the 2018 season wore on, teams keyed on Suseland. Blevins and Butler took advantage. Blevins produced an All-PSAC season as a sophomore, and Butler sparked the Marauders' attack during a five-match winning streak to end the regular season, posting a season-high 15 kills in the PSAC Tournament against top-seeded Shippensburg.
"That is something that will continue to happen this year," said Suseland. "Teams know I'm going to get sets. I'm not worried about it because we have efficient hitters everywhere.""The philosophy is to get the ball to the player with the best opportunity to terminate," said Smith. "That could be a blocking match-up or maybe the player has a hot hand. We definitely want to make an effort to get the ball to [Suseland], but because she is such a focal point for the other team defensively, our other players benefit. She is a great option or a great decoy."
Suseland's impact has elevated expectations at Millersville. With Suseland and every other starter returning from last season's division-championship team, there is a goal of an NCAA Tournament appearance—something not accomplished at Millersville since 1995. Millersville likely came up five wins shy of the tournament in 2018. Yet consider that a severe ankle sprain kept Suseland out of key matches against Cal U and Seton Hill (both NCAA Tournament teams). There were two four-set losses early in the season to non-conference opponents, a four-set loss to Shepherd (now in the PSAC Southeast) and three other five-set losses to PSAC teams. A year more seasoned and improved, and a Millersville postseason run isn't all that unrealistic.
Suseland and the Marauders are rolling as they entering PSAC play, which starts with a road trip to Cal U and Seton Hill this weekend. Regardless of what happens over the remaining 19 regular season matches, Suseland knows that her decision to come to Millersville and continue her volleyball career was right.
"Coming here, it feels like home even though I am so far from home."
--
Suseland, a PSAC Scholar-Athlete in 2018-19, is tracking toward a biology degree with possible pursuit of a career as a veterinarian. Suseland spent her last three summers working as an intern at a large animal vet clinic in Michigan.
Players Mentioned
OH
/ Women's Volleyball
OH
/ Women's Volleyball
S
/ Women's Volleyball
OPP
/ Women's VolleyballHighlights: Millersville Volleyball vs. East Stroudsburg (November 7, 2025)
Saturday, November 08
Highlights: Millersville Volleyball vs. Bloomsburg (October 11, 2025)
Saturday, October 11
Highlights: Millersville Volleyball vs. Lock Haven (October 10, 2025)
Friday, October 10
Highlights: Millersville Volleyball vs. Lincoln (Pa.) (September 17, 2025)
Thursday, September 18
