Basketball might have been her first love, but as early as the fifth grade volleyball began to steal Paige Roback’s heart.
Its charming attributes and the splendid opportunities it provides caught her eye, and she hasn’t looked back since.
“I used to play basketball a lot because my dad was a coach, but I liked volleyball because I didn’t have to run as much,” Roback said. “I like the camaraderie of the team, and the momentum that you have to have, and the enthusiasm. But I also like the hitting, passing and being able to dig other people.”
Nine years later, Roback is a 6-foot sophomore outside hitter for the Eastern Michigan University volleyball team. She is from Notre Dame Academy in Maumee, Ohio, where she was a four-year starter.
In her senior year of high school, Roback recorded 342 kills, 193 digs, 59 service aces and 25 set assists while being named first team All-City, All-District and All-State.
She was selected the Toledo city league’s player of the year during her junior and senior seasons. She was a four-time city league selection and earned honorable mention accolades as a freshman before picking up first-team honors in her final three seasons. She was also honored as the team’s MVP in three seasons.
In her four-year career at Notre Dame Academy, Roback finished with a school-record 1,090 kills and 173 aces. She also had a single-match record twice in her career with 33 kills.
Roback, who is seeking a degree in exercise science, considered a number of schools outside of EMU. Her top three were Ball State, Maryland and Lake Forest (Ill.). However, she chose to become an Eagle for a number of reasons.
“I liked Eastern,” Roback said. “I liked my teammates; when I came and stayed with them they were a lot of fun. I also liked coach and her philosophy, and I also liked my major here.”
In her freshman season with the Eagles, Roback started in all of the team’s 35 matches. She led the team in service aces with 36, good for 10th in the Mid-American Conference. She finished second on the team in kills and digs recording 324 and 378, respectively while coming in fourth on the team with 40 blocks. She recorded a season-high 18 kills twice, versus Ball State on Nov. 5 and against Northern Illinois on Nov. 19.
Roback along with fellow sophomore outside hitter, and roommate, Erin Short makes a duo of powerful, energetic hitting machines for the Eagles.
Not only do they have the reputation of energy among Eagle fans, but they also speak highly of each other’s efforts.
“Paige brings a lot of excitement and energy to our team,” Short said of her teammate. “She also has a great hit and an awesome block.”
When she’s not tuning her volleyball skills or studying, Roback likes to make threaded bracelets and of course spend time with her teammates, whom she considers a favorite aspect of being an Eagle.
“I love the personality of our team and my teammates,” Roback said “We kind of all have the same personalities and get along very well, and it’s fun to hang out.”
So far this season, Roback is second on the team with 203 kills (2.42 per set) and holds a .237 hitting percentage. She is fourth on the team with 11 service aces and has 10 assists.
Defensively, she has posted 28 blocks along with 98 digs.
