Catching Up With ... Rower Rachel Alexander (June 25)

SEATTLE – During her days in a maroon volleyball uniform, Alyssa Given's job was to help finish off a point in the gym.

Now, in her maroon medical scrubs, her job is to help start off a life in the hospital.

The former Seattle Pacific star hasn't left volleyball completely behind. But while the sport still maintains a certain grip on her, she has moved ahead with her life as a delivery room nurse at Highline Medical Center in the suburb of Burien, south of Seattle.

“I love it – for a first job, it's pretty awesome,” said the 24-year-old Given, who owns numerous SPU volleyball records and was just as strong in the classroom, earning conference and regional academic honors. “I knew for a long time that I wanted to be a nurse, and that I wanted to do either pediatrics or labor and delivery.

“I got to try out both, and I knew right away.”

Since graduating from SPU in 2008, Given has spent most of her time getting her nursing career started. But lately, she also has started thinking about restarting her volleyball career, and has decided to look into overseas playing opportunities.

Nothing is definite yet. Given has a good friend who played last year in Denmark, and has been in touch with her. The European season begins in September and continues through April,

“For a while, I was really back and forth on it,” Given said. “Now, I'm in it 100 percent. I have the rest of my life to be a nurse.”

Peruse the Falcon volleyball record book, and Given's name pops up nearly 40 times, whether it's on top of a particular statistical list, or somewhere among the all-time top five performances in various stat categories. She owns single-match, single-season and career records for attacks and points, has the single-match and career marks for kills, and the single-season and career standards for service aces.

“She's the best player I've ever coached,” said SPU coach Chris Johnson, who had Given on his first three Falcon teams (2005, '06 and '07). “She did it all – she had the best serve in the conference, she was the best outside hitter in the conference, she had good energy in the gym, and she was intense. If we needed a big kill, it was going to her.”

NAILING DOWN THE CROWNS
Given helped Seattle Pacific win back-to-back Great Northwest Athletic Conference titles – and NCAA Tournament spots – in 2005 and 2006. In fact, the second of those GNAC titles came down to the regular-season finale at rival Western Washington. The Falcons came in with a 15-0 record. The Vikings were at 14-1 and had a chance to claim a share of the crown with a victory.

Given would have none of that, hammering a school-record 32 kills that night in a four-game win for SPU.

She still calls it her most memorable match.

“That was pretty awesome,” said Given, who was a three-time All-GNAC, a two-time All-Region and a two-time All-American selection.

But when it was all over after her 2007 senior season, Given stepped back.

To this day, she's glad she did.

“That was the best thing for me,” Given said. “I didn't pull away completely – I played outdoor and played some grass volleyball. It was low-key and fun, but not competitive.”

While starring on the court at Notre Dame High School in Salinas, Calif., Given had no hints whatsoever that the game eventually would bring her all the way up the Pacific coast to Seattle.

“I'd never even heard of SPU until I started getting recruited,” Given said. “I have friends who live up here and they said, 'It's a great school – come check it out.' I came up here on a recruiting trip and just fell in love with the school. This one was definitely different than all the others.”

MAKING HERSELF AT HOME
Whether it was volleyball or nursing, she quickly discovered the school was a perfect fit.

“I really just had an awesome all-around experience,” said Given, who wound up with a grade-point average in the 3.8 neighborhood. “I felt very prepared when I came out of nursing school.”

Added Johnson, “She would be at the hospital (as part of her course work) from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m., then come and play volleyball for two hours. She had a very long day, and she would stay on top of it.

“I still don't know how she did it.”

In fact, Given has worked her way up to lead nurse/supervisor on the night shift, something she finds enjoyable and challenging at the same time.

“I like the atmosphere at night,” Given said. “We don't have as many resources (at night), so we kind of rely on each other.”

Sort of like playing a volleyball match.

“I love how much you have to relay on your teammates and trust that they're going to do their part, and that it's all going to come together,” Given said.

Whether it's finishing off a point in the gym …

… or starting off a new life in the delivery room.