For Ashley Herzberg, the third time was the charm.

First, it was, ‘It’s not looking good.’

Second, it was ‘Maybe.’

Third, it was ‘I’ll let you try out for the team.’

Coach Denise Van De Walle was very glad she gave her the opportunity.

‘We absolutely loved her in the tryout,’ Van De Walle said. ‘She was fast, had good skills and a good work ethic. She had everything we looked for in a walk-on.’

Herzberg, a 5-foot-2 freshman from Mentor, Ohio, had been in contact with Van De Walle for several years, always letting her know her interest in becoming a Falcon.

After hearing ‘no’ a couple of times, she realized she needed to make a change of plans. Nearly all of last summer, Herzberg had been planning on attending Division III Walsh University and playing volleyball there.

‘I realized I didn’t like anything about it,’ Herzberg said. ‘I didn’t want to go there and end up not liking volleyball because of the school. I wasn’t happy with my decision, so I ended up changing it at the last minute.’

She is ecstatic she did.

‘Playing for Bowling Green has always been a dream of mine,’ Herzberg said. ‘I got a tryout, and the next week I got a call and found out I made it. It was a whirlwind, but it was pretty cool.’

Before Herzberg was able to play, she had to go through a process called the NCAA clearing house, which is an eligibility center.

It took several weeks for her to be able to play, but once she was ready, Van De Walle did not take much time getting her into the starting rotation.

Herzberg said it seemed to come out of nowhere.

‘It was very nerve-wracking to begin with,’ she said. ‘[Van De Walle] all the sudden put me in and I was like ‘oh, my gosh.’ But then I started playing, I got more relaxed and comfortable and I loved it.’

Van De Walle said it is human nature for someone to be like, ‘Who’s this new kid?’, but once the team got to know her, it was great. Plus, since Herzberg has arrived, the competition between everyone has heated up.

Alex Zlabis was very impressed with Herzberg from the beginning. ‘She definitely came in and fit in very well with everyone,’ Zlabis said. ‘She worked hard, so we accepted her right away.

‘She’s playing a lot and she is really helping us out, so we’re all excited that she can step in and help us. Anyone who works hard deserves to be out there.’

When Herzberg was able to start playing, she was immediately in the starting lineup. She tried to look away from the pressure, though.

‘I tried not to think about it,’ she said. ‘This is my dream come true. I’ve loved Bowling Green since I was in middle school, so I went out there and gave it all I got.’

Herzberg and Zlabis are still competing for the starting libero position – it has been going back and forth for several weeks now. Van De Walle loves Herzberg’s effort thus far.

‘She’s brought good skill and great energy,’ she said. ‘You’re looking for a kid that plays with passion. She just looks like she enjoys playing the game so much. She’s a great role model. She has it all.”