It dates back to the fourth grade at St. Joseph Martyr Elementary School in East Lake, Ohio, where Ashley Mason made the switch from soccer to volleyball.
Now a senior setter for Eastern Michigan University, Mason is still in love with the game.
“I used to play soccer when I was little then I watched the volleyball team for my Catholic Youth Organization, St. Joseph Martyr Elementary School,” Mason said. “I just told my parents I wanted to play, and they coached my team. So I started from there.”
The 5-foot-9 East Lake native took a look at a number of Mid-American Conference schools when deciding on where she would further her education.
In the end, it was EMU that drew Mason’s attention. From the coaching staff and teammates to the campus and size of its classes, Mason knew EMU was a perfect fit for her.
“I considered a lot of the MAC schools only because I’m 20 minutes east of Cleveland, and they were all close to my home and I wanted to stay close,” Mason said.
“I chose EMU because I love the coaches; they were setters just like I was before… I also liked the team, they were very very inviting, nice. The school wasn’t too big, the campus was a good size and I liked the class sizes as well.”
From the time Mason joined the team, she has played a significant role on the Eagles’ squad. In her freshman year she started in 32 matches for a total of 124 sets.
She led the team in assists with 1,109, which is the 15th-best single-season total in the history of the program. She also recorded double digit digs in 10 matches.
Since then, the sky has seemed to be the only limit for Mason as she continuously improves every season. Her sophomore year she started in all 33 matches and once again led the team in assists with a total of 1,140, as well as recording 18 double-doubles.
Last year Mason started in all 35 matches and put up a total of 1,415 assists, which was good for fourth in the MAC. She was fourth on the team in blocks with 53. She also recorded 27 service aces on the season.
“She has been a leader for this team since day one and she’s also our floor captain,” senior libero Haley Stein said of Mason. “She’s very personal and relatable, and she can pick the team up and carry us on her back when we need her to.”
Not only has Mason been a leader on the court, but her leadership prevails everywhere she goes.
“Her leadership on and off the court is huge,” Stein said. “She will pick someone up when they make a mistake. She’s very personal and easy to talk to, and you know that her doors are always open.”
It seems such leadership comes rather naturally to Mason. In fact, her favorite part of volleyball is the fact that being a setter allows her to play a leadership role.
“My favorite thing about volleyball is setting,” said Mason, a business major. “The reason why I like setting is because I get to be in every play and touch the ball every time, and they need setters to play even though we’re not the big hitters.”
Mason has a brother, Ryan, and a sister, Brittany, whom she holds near and dear.
When she’s not on the court she also likes to play sand volleyball, especially when her father is involved.
“Besides playing volleyball here at EMU, I also like to play sand volleyball with my dad,” Mason said. “He plays on a sand league, as well. I also like to go on a lot of bike rides; those are fun through the park, runs through the park.”
If you search through Mason’s iPod, according to Stein, you will probably find a lot of Taylor Swift. And that’s not her only well-kept secret. Mason can also be found in front of a sink washing her face about four times every day. Yes, it’s just that serious!
