TAMPA, Fla., October 15, 2024 – Her powerful top-spin serve is confounding to opponents. At the net, her arm swing, strength, and coordination make the ball seem like it's shot out of a cannon.
 
Then there's the look. When a point is scored, USF volleyball player Naiya Sawtelle usually doesn't squeal, giggle, jump around, or even smile. She glares menacingly. It's a serious-minded attitude that might be confused for an act or false intimidation. But it's very real.
 
Sawtelle, a transfer from North Carolina A&T University, means business. She has injected enforcer-like toughness into the Bulls (10-7, 6-0), who challenge the Rice Owls (11-4, 6-0) in Wednesday night's match at the Corral. One team will emerge as the lone unbeaten squad in American Athletic Conference play.
 
"I think we're in a really good headspace,'' said Sawtelle, a 6-foot outside hitter whose older brother, Nico, was a linebacker for USF's football team from 2015-19. "We showed some good things in the pre-conference season and now I think we're ready to peak.
 
"Our goal is to win this conference and get to the NCAA Tournament. And the only way to do that is by chipping away, game by game. You never back down. It's a mindset.''
 
And that mindset has been felt by Sawtelle's teammates.
 
"Naiya's energy and attitude really empowers us all,'' setter Caroline Dykes said. "It's like this flame that exists on the court. There's no other way to say it. She's a definite force.''
 
"You can see it in the way she plays,'' setter Tatiana Johnson said. "It's like she's saying, 'I want it and I'm going to go get it.' She's scared of no one and nothing.''
 
"You always wonder when a new player comes into the program, what she'll be like,'' outside hitter Jalynn Brown said. "But Naiya came in like a powerhouse. She was throwing weight around the weight room, banging the volleyballs in the gym, just relentless about everything. It's pure passion. And we absolutely love it.''
 
Even though Sawtelle will only be with the Bulls for one season, USF coach Jolene Shepardson said the impact could be immeasurable.
 
"She has great experience and talent … and we'll take what we can get, even though we wish it was more,'' said Shepardson, whose team is 6-0 in conference play for the first time since 2002. "Physically, she's a beast and I think some of it is genetics. There's a lot of athletic talent in that family. And she's definitely not one you want to mess with.
 
"I believe she's always respectful of our opponents, but this is not fun and games to her. She's going to bring the intensity … and we love that intensity. She's powerful and not just physically. She's powerful in her mind, too. When you get to know Naiya, you realize that she has overcome a lot. When you know the behind-the-scenes story, you respect her even more.''
 
Grieving For Her Friend
 
Sawtelle has a tattoo on her right arm, an angel with a halo, and the number 9.
 
On her game-day shoes, she writes "Teemah's World'' and "LLT'' (abbreviations for "Long Live Timah'').
Teemah was the nickname of Fatimah Shabazz, who was Sawtelle's teammate at North Carolina A&T. Shabazz, a senior, quickly became one of her closest friends as Sawtelle entered the program as a freshman. She was always there with a smile or a listening ear. She taught Sawtelle how to prepare and how to best use her intensity.
 
"She was like a best friend, a mentor, someone you knew your whole life, even though it was a very short time,'' Sawtelle said. "I was freaking out about being a freshman in college, stressed about everything, and she calmed me down. She took me under her wing and let me know that everything was going to be all right. She became a light in my life.''
 
During the 2021 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference Tournament semifinals at Campbell University, Shabazz went up for a block, then crumpled to the court. She complained of severe head pain. Teammates thought it was maybe a migraine, a product of a tense match and frantic atmosphere. Shabazz tried to play through it, but kept getting subbed out.
 
Back at the hotel, the pain wouldn't go away. She was taken to the hospital, and doctors soon learned that Shabazz had a brain aneurysm that ruptured, probably during her fall to the court. Shabazz was airlifted to the hospital in Raleigh, where the best care was available. But it was too late and her condition worsened.
 
Two weeks later, on Nov. 28, 2021, Shabazz was taken off life support. She was 22.
 
The volleyball program and the entire North Carolina A&T community was rocked with grief.
 
"When you're 18 years old, and you realize your friend is gone and never coming back, it's a lot,'' Sawtelle said. "I went back (to A&T) in the spring and I tried to be tough. But my mind was racing and I was away from home, away from my family. I started slipping into a very dark period.''
 
In the darkness, she experimented with alcohol and substances. She fell into a deep depression, but shifted into fake happiness around others. She pondered suicide, but never acted on those thoughts.
 
She sought help — and got it — but the biggest motivation was imagining what a stern Timah might say.
 
"She would've been mad at me throwing away opportunities — volleyball, school, or even my life,'' Sawtelle said. "She would've slapped me or yelled at me. 'Pull yourself together and get help.' So I did and I quickly realized there was so much for me.
 
"There are too many people in my generation who are struggling with depression, anxiety, suicide, all of that. Sometimes, we just need help. We've had the isolation of COVID and the false reality of social media. We're trying to figure out our futures and we sometimes don't realize that the world is so much bigger than our 18-to-24-year-old minds. So after a while, you start thinking everything is hopeless. It's an easy trap to fall into — and I'm grateful that I found my way out of it.''
 
Sharing Her Experiences
 
Sawtelle's introduction to USF volleyball has involved more than her on-court performance. She has opened her heart, speaking to the team about her raw and unvarnished experiences.
 
"She did something many people would never do — she made herself vulnerable and shared some deep, dark stuff,'' Brown said. "We saw a side of her that you wouldn't have guessed. So when you see that intimidating volleyball player and that bubbly friend off the court, there's a little more to the story.
 
"She didn't have to open up in that way, but it was incredibly real. I think she's an amazing person … just because of how much she truly cares.''
 
Shepardson said she's grateful for Sawtelle's honesty.
 
"Some young people are fighting battles we don't even know,'' Shepardson said. "Naiya is willing to share and willing to help. She has a depth and a strength about her. She really does have great parents and a great family.''
 
Sawtelle's parents, Mike and Lisa, are both teachers and former athletes. The father, a former college wrestler, just retired as head volleyball coach at Jensen Beach High School,  where his teams won five state championships and 16 district titles. He also coached a 15-and-under travel team to a national championship.
 
The parents gave each of their children Hawaiian names — including Nico (meaning "warrior''), Kiana (rainbow), Makai (ocean) and Naiya (dolphin).
 
Kiana played volleyball at Southeastern University and beach volleyball at the University of Tampa. Makai currently plays football at Florida Atlantic University.
 
Then there's Nico, who was described as "the ultimate big brother and my best friend,'' by Sawtelle, the baby of the family.
 
"I remember making those drives across the state to see Nico play football for USF,'' Sawtelle said. "I probably remember the popcorn and soda most of all, but I was rooting for my  brother and I thought USF was my dream school for volleyball. It didn't work out (initially), but here I am to finish it out with the Bulls and I'm so excited for what's ahead of us.''
 
Shepardson said she's equally excited to have a weapon the caliber of Sawtelle.
 
"Even her serve is like a hard-driven attack that can cause you to really scramble,'' Shepardson said. "Only certain females can hit the top-spin hard enough to have that kind of effect. And she is one of those females. She gives us power and force at the net. I've never really had somebody for just one semester, but Naiya is worth it. She has impacted this program in so many ways.''
 
Just ask her teammates.
 
"If you're across the net, she'll get into your head,'' Brown said. "Sometimes, somebody might block her or force her into an error, and we'll be like, 'Uh-oh, watch out! You woke her up!' You better not poke the bear because she's not backing down from any challenge.''
 
Sawtelle, who competed in swimming, powerlifting and flag football in high school, earned a business management degree at North Carolina A&T. She's now seeking a master's degree in USF's sports and entertainment management program. One day, she'd like to be a sports administrator.
 
For now, she's a sports intimidator.
 
"I might not be 'happy, happy, joy, joy' when I make a play, but I do like my stare-downs,'' Sawtelle said with a smile. "I want that intensity to rub off on my team. We have a mission we're trying to accomplish and we have to treat this very seriously.
 
"My perspective might be different because I've been through some things that really taught me about life. All of it helped to make me into who I am today. I feel like I know how precious life really is and how you've got to take advantage of every single day. In some ways, I learned that the hard way, but I'm super grateful that, even though I'm still young, I feel like I know what really matters.''
 
About USF Volleyball
Head coach Jolene Shepardson enters her fifth season at the helm of her alma mater in 2024. Named head coach on Jan. 8, 2020, Shepardson led the Bulls' program to its last conference championship and NCAA tournament appearance as a student-athlete in 2002. Earning the AAC East Division title in 2023, South Florida made a postseason appearance in the NIVC, winning three games and advancing to the Fab Four to mark the longest postseason run in program history. South Florida Volleyball has made seven NCAA Tournament appearances and won 12 conference titles since its inception in 1972. The Bulls play in The Corral (1,000), located adjacent to the Yuengling Center on the USF campus.
 
Be sure to follow USF women's volleyball on social media (Twitter/Instagram/Facebook) and visit GoUSFBulls.com for the most up-to-date information.