Emily Manser will face the inevitable and discomforting reality of playing her final home game when the Bowling Green volleyball team opens the Mid-American Conference Tournament against Kent State tonight at 7 p.m.

But expect the 5-foot-11 senior co-captain to handle the difficulty of the situation in the same manner she has dealt with so many other tough times during a four-year “roller coaster” ride at BG; by displaying a sense of humility and resolve.

To the naked eye, Manser may appear to have all a student-athlete could want: A perfect 4.0 GPA and a spot on ESPN The Magazine’s Academic All-District IV University Division Volleyball Team.

Not to mention the milestones and awards she has collected throughout her career as a Falcon

Though perception can sometimes be the furthest thing from the truth; and hindsight is something Manser said she struggled with after arriving at BG as a 17-year old freshman straight out of Westerville North High School.

“It was a tough transition, because I had never faced any obstacles in high school,” said Manser, who was the only newcomer on the team back in 2002. “I don’t think I was ever challenged with anything. I came her and I was like, ‘Oh no, I’m failing at something … I’m not exceeding my expectations.”

Ron and Susie Manser, parents of Emily, said their daughter also had trouble with missing classes.

“Her biggest problem was being a student-athlete,” Susie said. “She never missed school for anything in high school. So, to miss two or three days a week, she was like, ‘I can’t miss class. I won’t get A’s’.”

“We didn’t realize and I don’t think she did either, how demanding and what a perfectionist she really was,” Susie continued. “She wanted to be perfect on the court and in the classroom, and that’s just a lot of pressure. So, that was very stressful for her, more than some kids I think.”

Twenty-three year BG coach Denise Van De Walle said the Westerville, OH., native was a bit nervous coming into the program. Manser, 21, still started 15 matches and saw action in 29, while accounting for 115 kills during her first season.

Van De Walle knew the potential was there. It was just a matter of Manser putting it all together.

“She was athletic … But she wasn’t really technically trained,” she said. “I think she was shy to a degree. Not shy with the team, but shy on the floor, afraid to make mistakes.”

Manser has shown improvement in each statistical category since 2002. More importantly, she has changed her demeanor on and off the court, according to Ron Manser.

“She has really grown and matured, and you can see it in the way she handles herself now,” he said. “She has also become a lot more patient. She has one of those driven personalities … And when someone has that type of personality, you really can’t change them. That’s just the way they are.”

This season, Manser has been one of the anchors – and one of two seniors – to help steady a team filled with a combined 10 freshmen and sophomores on the 13-player roster.

She became the fourth student-athlete in school history to be named to the First-Team All-District Academic Team, and has been named Mid-American Conference Player of the Week.

What Manser brings to the volleyball team, will be hard to replace, Van De Walle said.

“You don’t replace those seniors, you try to do your best to move on,” she said. “She has definitely matured in this program. She has a heart of gold, very sweet-spirited and fun to be around.”

By her own admission, it hasn’t been just the recognition and accolades that have made the journey worthwhile.

For Manser, a Communications Disorder major and self-proclaimed perfectionist, the reasoning goes a little deeper.

“Up to this point in my life, I am so grateful for everything,” she said. “I have the best family in the world, the best teammates in the world and I love what I’m doing right now. [God] has been good to me.

“The most important life lesson I could learn from this whole experience is that you’re going to fall sometimes, but you need to pick yourself up because there is no other option,” Manser continued. “I’ve learned how to work well with other people, how to listen to authority and how to be my own person and be independent.”