JACKSON TWP — The handshakes and introductions were barely over before Angela Seman and her new volleyball teammates boarded a plane for Sao Paulo, Brazil.

They had to learn their tendencies on the fly in just a handful of practices before they departed for the 2018 FISU America Games.

It was a whirlwind for Seman, a Seneca Valley graduate and a redshirt senior libero at the University of Pittsburgh.

When they arrived in Brazil, the United States team was tasked with playing against some of the best — and more experienced — teams in the world.

“Most of those countries had played together for a long time,” Seman said. “We only played together for a week.”

Still, Seman and her teammates were undaunted, winning the bronze medal at the games.

“We came in third, which really isn't bad considering we were playing against teams that had played together so much longer,” Seman said. “It was like a mini-Olympics. It was really awesome.”

Seman, though, is used to improvising.

Her role on the court demands a certain level of flexibility.

Playing the position of libero is all Seman has known since she first began playing volleyball.

She excelled at that position at Seneca Valley, and after sitting out her freshman year at Pitt, has been a rock in the middle of the court for the Panthers.

“It's completely different than high school,” said Seman, 22, who now suddenly finds herself as the eldest on the Pitt roster. “Girls can hit really hard, and they can be tricky. Yeah, balls are getting hit hard and all over the place, put you still have to dig and pass with a purpose.”

That isn't always easy, but Seman has become proficient at it.

Especially in the big games.

Read the full story in the Butler Eagle.