Sept. 24, 2008

LOGAN, Utah -

By Ashley Schiller, USU Athletic Media Relations

When Melissa Osterloh was a kid, spending time with her grandpa at Fredrico's Pizza was the best part about coming to Logan. "We want some garlic bread, don't forget!" she and her siblings would repeatedly remind their grandpa, the restaurant's founder. Fredrick would also let each grandchild pick a favorite song to play on the juke box. Osterloh's pick was usually "Carolina In My Mind" by James Taylor.

The garlic bread and juke box Osterloh loved more than a decade ago are still famous features of Fredrico's today. She continues to visit the pizzeria, except now she is a 5'10 senior at the peak of her volleyball career rather than a young tomboy in a jazz jersey.

Although her family has ties to Cache Valley, Osterloh will be the first Utah State graduate. She came here in 2006 after playing for two years at Portland State. Although she had great relationships with her teammates at PSU, it just didn't feel like home.

"I wasn't feeling like I belonged there. I wasn't as happy, and everyone could tell," she said.

Things changed once she got to USU.

"I've never felt like I don't belong here. It was a complete 360," she said. "Here we're like family. That's something that I really value. I've come from a couple of different teams, and we were good friends, but it's just a different feeling when you've got that family chemistry and unity."

Osterloh feels like she has a dozen sisters.

"Maybe that's why I love this sport so much," she said, laughing. "I grew up in a family of four boys and I was the only girl. It was nice for me to get out with some girls and hang out."

She gives her brothers the credit for getting her into sports at a young age.

"They were always roughing around and I wanted to join in on the fun. I was the biggest tomboy ever. I didn't even get girly until probably the middle of junior high," she said.

Osterloh "didn't even know volleyball was a sport" until fifth grade, when she began attending an early morning clinic taught by one of the teachers at her elementary school. Naturally athletic and always tall, she had an advantage throughout junior high and high school.

She led Skyline High School to three 5A state championships, but those years were not without their trials. It was in high school that Osterloh began to have severe back problems. While chiropractors and massage therapists helped lessen the pain, the aches never really went away.

They became especially intense during her time at PSU. Once, during warm time before a game, Osterloh collapsed on the court and had to be carried off because she was unable to move herself.

During her first year in Logan, the back problems resurfaced again. But this time, she got rid of them once and for all. With the help of USU's team physician Dr. Trek Lyons, her problem was properly diagnosed as Facet Syndrome. Osterloh had to train herself to stand and sit in a completely different way so as to not aggravate the pain.

"It's been a big thing for me, learning to listen to my body. I've had to figure out when I can work through things and when I need to step back and take care of myself," she said.

Now the way she holds herself is second nature, and she hasn't had back pain in years. Although it was frustrating, she now understands all she learned while injured.

"It was a huge trial. I had to take a different role because I couldn't be a leader on the court, but I could contribute to our team off the court. It was a life-changing experience to take on a different role and learn how to deal with injury and get past it," she said.

Osterloh will be a leader both on and off the court this season. She is coming off a strong junior year where she earned second-team-all-Western Athletic Conference honors as she averaged 3.16 kills, 2.88 digs and .75 blocks per game. She started all 30 matches as an outside hitter and played in 103 games. She also earned honors as an academic all-WAC player last season.

This year she is averaging 4.40 points, 3.68 kills, 1.91 digs, 0.70 blocks and 0.36 service aces per set.

Osterloh will graduate in the fall of 2009 in English teaching and she hopes to have the opportunity to also coach volleyball at her future school of employment.

"I'd get to give back what I got from the sport and help kids to have the love for it that I did," she said.