CLARION — Carlie Bieranowski has never been afraid of hard work.

When the Freeport graduate decided to play volleyball at Division II Clarion University, she knew she was going to put in a lot more.

Bieranowski, a redshirt sophomore, has worked her way into the rotation for the Golden Eagles, who have won 11 of their past 12 matches and sit at 20-4 overall and 10-1 in the PSAC.

“Carlie redshirted her first year and we knew she had a lot of potential as well as the drive to win,” said Clarion coach Jennifer Harrison. “Still, she had some work to do to catch up to the speed of play. The speed of high school did not translate as well and she did not play club volleyball.

“It was an eye-opening experience for her, but she's been one of the hardest workers.

“One of the coolest things about her is to see how hard she's worked to get better,” Harrison added.

Bieranowski agreed.

“The redshirt gave me time to focus on myself and not to worry about the competition,” Bieranowski said.

Last season as a redshirt freshman, Bieranowski, a 5-foot-10 outside hitter, saw action in 20 sets and finished with 34 kills, 24 digs and six blocks, including a 13-dig, 12-kill performance against East Stroudsburg.

“Last year, I saw a good bit of playing time, more than I expected,” Bieranowski noted.

Said Harrison, “Last year, it was not so much the speed, but the skill set. She was very offensive, but things she needed to catch up on were on defense and blocking.”

This year, Bieranowski is fourth on the team in sets (59), kills (148, 2.5 per set), digs (126, 2.14 per set) and blocks (32).

“This year, more playing time opened up and I'm playing a lot. I just worked at it pretty good,” Bieranowski said. “I'm more comfortable. It helps to have a great relationship with my teammates on and off the court.”

The Golden Eagles lost seven players from last year's team and Bieranowski pushed her way into the lineup.

She has become a key contributor as of late, posting double figures in kills in five of the past seven matches, including an 18-kill performance against Shippensburg and 14 against Millersville, both on Saturday.

She also recorded 11 kills and a season-high 18 digs against Lock Haven on Oct. 5.

“She has had a lot of double-doubles in kills and digs,” Harrison said. “Her work ethic has been great. She's playing around a lot of great players.”

Bieranowski admits the game is beginning to finally slow down now that she has become acclimated to the college game.

“It's a lot quicker-paced game and a lot of the technique I was taught in high school is different from what we do now,” she said. “I had to try and be patient and just keep working.”

Looking back, everything Bieranowski has put into working, she has gotten back on the court.

“I definitely knew I would have to work hard to get to where I am now,” Bieranowski said.

“I have a great coach and she understands that it takes time. She understands you have to change things. I knew I'd get frustrated.”

That seemed like a lifetime ago as Bieranowski is becoming firmly entrenched in the Golden Eagles' success this year.

“And Carlie,” Harrison said, “has definitely been a part of that.”