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BOWMAN COUNTY — The modern era of high-school and college volleyball usually brings to mind statuesque, 6’4” athletes who seem larger-than-life, but the game also is governed by those who are “in the right place at the right moment.” Bowman County graduating senior Alyssa Martian is just such an athlete, and the 5’2” setter has proven that her positioning is every bit as important to the team as the thundering kills and defensive blocks that help push teams to victory.
Martian recently signed an athletic scholarship to play at the next level for the University of Jamestown Jimmies, and after compiling an admirable list of stats she is ready for the challenge as the Class of 2026 standout prepares for her collegiate career on the court.
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“Coach (Phil) Weldele had us go to Jamestown for a camp our freshman year — and that was when I was first introduced to the Jimmie volleyball team — and I fell in love with it from day-one and came home to tell my parents: My goal is set; I want to go and play for Jamestown,” Martian said. “It’s like a family there, I can go to any of them and talk to them and they welcome you in; I’m good friends with coach Jon (Hegerle) and Jake (Fulsom), the assistant, and I love them … it’s like I’m meant to be there and it just felt like home.”
It was a well-earned promotion, as Martian ended her career with 1,176 assists — which places her in third, all-time, for the Bulldogs — and she also wound up ninth in serve-attempts and aces from the line. She also totaled numbers that place her at eighth in all-time service-points and fourth in service-percentage as extra feathers in her cap.
“I’m not necessarily meant for the front row,” Martian said. “But I’ve just had a good connection with the team and every time I’m with them I feel like I’m part of the family that they have and the community [at Jamestown].”
Her parents, Sarah and Scott Martian, were on-hand for the signing ceremony with her teammate and sister, Brenna — who was the Bulldogs’ libero during the 2024 season — and the proximity of Bowman to Jamestown should mean they all get a chance to follow Alyssa’s career as it proceeds. She is planning to major in nursing at UJ, a career she sees as her future — with an emphasis on pediatrics down the road — and says she’s, “Always been the person to take care of people; that’s what I do and who I am.”
She added, “My parents taught us to look out for others and be kind, always. So, when I got older and I was like, ‘Oh, I can be a nurse,’ and it really caught my attention.”
Alyssa said she stayed in contact with the UJ coaching staff over the last four seasons, and they routinely told her how much they appreciate her energy and the team-dynamic she brings to the court each day. While she might end up switching positions to defensive-specialist or backup-setter when she gets to college, that is strictly due to her personality and the way she approaches the game, despite her diminutive size.
“Jake (Fulsom) calls me ‘Sneaky,’ just because I can get under our hitters’ feet, and no one knows I’m there,” Alyssa said with a laugh. “I get under there and hide and wait for the ball. I don’t like to brag about being quick, but I always get compliments on getting to the ball and I think I’m pretty good at reading hitters and their hand placements, so when it comes to defense I can see it right away and react to that.”
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Alyssa credits Weldele and new head coach Kate Cristaldi for her growth and development in the sport, adding that she, “Grew up with Coach Weldele, and he really made me see my goal and I give him the credit for taking us to Jamestown for camp there and he’s helped us grow as players, and Ms. Cristaldi coached us this year to become better humans and keep playing as a team.”
The University of Jamestown recently switched to being Division II school, which also raises the bar for Alyssa somewhat, because the athletes are, “quicker and a lot faster,” and she knows it’s, “going to be a whole-new playing field.”
“Some of the hitters are like 6’6” — they’re huge, they’re strong — and it’s just going to be a lot-faster pace, but it’s going to be a family,” Alyssa said. “My teammates that I know of — going into freshman year — and I are already close, so I that is really exciting to me; we’re all excited to play the game that we love.”
For more information about BCHS, please visit their website at https://www.bowman.k12.nd.us/ and for news on the University of Jamestown’s women’s volleyball team, please see https://jimmiepride.com/sports/womens-volleyball .
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