by By Dan Ninham (Oneida)
“My oñgwehoñwe name is Ga•néñ’da•waks – She shakes the hemlocks,” said Sophia Powless. “I am Wolf clan, and I’m from the Onondaga Nation. My parents are JoAnne and Bradley Powless, Gohahagehdeh and Dehowähda•dih.”
Sophia Powless just finished her junior year playing volleyball at Adelphi University this past fall. She is a 5-11 middle blocker. She is an Environmental Studies major. Sophia is a graduate of LaFayette Senior HS in LaFayette, NY.
Sophia was honored as the Diverse: Issues In Higher Education Arthur Ashe Jr. Sports Scholar in 2018-19, the NE10 Academic Honor Roll – Academic Distinction during the Fall of 2018 and 2019, and the NE10 Commissioner’s Honor Roll during the fall of 2017 and spring of 2018.
Her Adelphi University women’s volleyball profile is located here: https://aupanthers.com/sports/womens-volleyball/roster/sophia-powless/7848
“At my school I am the minority,” said Sophia. “There are only two indigenous students at my school. Luckily she is Haudenosanee (people of the longhouse) too, she is Seneca so we had an instant connection that was great. Many people on my team and campus are shocked to hear that I am Native American.”
“At times I felt alone but when I would come home, my community would say how proud they are of me,” said Sophia. “They have taught me to treat everyone equally with respect and have a good mind. As Haudenosanee we always talk about the Ganoñhéñ•nyoñ’ (Thanksgiving Address). It is our way of giving thanks to the world we are a part in. Growing up with this mindset has made me fortunate for every opportunity and put my best into what I am doing.”
“My family has been so influential in my volleyball career,” said Sophia. “My mom played and passed on the love of the game to me and my siblings. My older sister played in high school and my younger brother and I would go to every game. I remember we started playing with a balloon and eventually transitioned to playing against each other on a net we set up in our backyard.”
“The Onondaga Nation School principal, Simone Gonyea, saw how passionate I was about the sport and she would help me train,” said Sophia. “She also introduced me to the Native American Indigenous Games (NAIG) and was my U-16 coach. She gave me the platform to see how hard I could push myself as well as others. With her I have been able to see myself as leader on and off the court.”
“Sophia Powless is an energetic, determined, supportive Onondaga women who also is an exceptional volleyball player,” said Simone Gonyea, Principal Onondaga Nation School and former NAIG volleyball coach. “Her development as a leader began the moment she beamed her bright smile, supported others and displayed her willingness to push herself academically and athletically. As one of the coaches for the 2017 NAIG team I observed Sophia displayed leadership on and off the court. Sophia demonstrated leadership on the court through positive and supportive determination with every contact of the ball and execution of a point won.”
“I also had the opportunity to witness and support Sophia as she began her early steps into higher level volleyball as a freshman in high school playing varsity level. Sophia listened intently to the instruction of the varsity coach and applied the drills, teaching and learning to a game situation with great intensity and joy. It is a remarkable trait to have an athlete intensely study, and execute in a competitive situation,” added Simone.
“It has been a joy, a pleasure and an honor to see Sophia Powless develop into the strong charismatic leader on and off the court,” said Simone. “She has made the path for many native women who wish to excel in a sport that they love.”
“My high school coach, Abby Lerch, really pushed me from a young age,” said Sophia. “She brought me up as a freshman onto varsity. Right from the beginning she brought out the best in me, she encouraged me to be the best and not get complacent. She challenged me every practice and even though I was in the starting line-up, she made me work for my spot.”
“I coached Sophia Powless throughout her high school volleyball career at LaFayette Senior HS,” said Abby Lerch, former varsity volleyball coach at LaFayette Sr. HS. “She grew up watching the game and that was evident in her performance as a player. Sophia’s drive to personally excel while positively supporting and encouraging other players to do well contributed to her leadership abilities.”
“Sophia was a physically strong player, leading multiple stat boards for her position as middle hitter and blocker. More significantly, she was mentally tough and performed consistently. Multiple players experienced successful seasons under Sophia’s captainship. At the end of her high school career, Sophia had earned many awards and honors at the local and state level. Her determination to further her skills continued on at the collegiate level,” added Abby.
The holistic concept of wellness is based on physical, mental, spiritual and emotional health. A balance needs to be trained to encourage a path to optimum performance.
“My summers involve me going to the gym three-four times a week,” said Sophia. “On my off days I d0 sprinting or running. My team has a tough preseason so I want to be in the best shape I can be in when I get back. My brother and I will play 1v1 or set each other for hitting lines so that we keep up on our touches.”
“I want to be able to read my hitter better and more efficiently because that will make it easier for my team to set up a play and it give me a greater chance to hit,” said Sophia. “I think it’s very important to know your opponent. A player that is able to adapt to the opposing team and the hitter will be able to find ways to win.”
“I have always loved playing volleyball,” said Sophia. “It has allowed me to go to so many places and meet new people. I had the opportunity to play on Team Haudenosaunee at NAIG in 2014 and 2017. That experience made me feel really proud to be an indigenous athlete. It makes me feel so happy when they are calling the starting line up and they say ‘Number 14, Sophia Powless from the Onondaga Nation’. It keeps me connected to my home no matter where I am.”
“I always keep the positive energy up on our court,” said Sophia. “Whether that is staying loud or making other people laugh. I never want the court to go silent, and I always think about what I can do to make the job easier for my passers, setters, and pin hitters. I make sure that the whole team is thinking about the play and is ready to give it all.”
“I have been staying home with my family during the pandemic,” said Sophia. “Entertaining myself by painting, reading, and working out. My routine has definitely changed but I know that I need to keep up my physical routine if we are going to have a season in the fall. Lately I have been lifting 5-gallon water jugs and paint buckets to substitute free weights.”
“I started playing club volleyball locally when I was twelve years old,” said Sophia. “By the time I was fifteen, I was playing at the U-18 level. I wanted to be put into a more competitive environment. So my parents and I chose to go to ‘VolleyFX’, a club in Rochester around an hour and a half from my home. It was physically and mentally demanding, as I had to travel twice a week for practices, train, and keep up with my schoolwork.”
“The first year on my U-17 team was very challenging, but I only got better with hard work,” said Sophia. “I was able to go to so many different places, and I had the opportunity to play across the United States. With the club I was able to reach the next level and earn a spot on a collegiate volleyball team.”
Photo Credit: Brian Ballweg
