DeSales Lyla Stewart Shows That Smarter Play Beats Pure Power

Columbus — It all started with a net. A badminton net, to be exact.

As a child, St. Francis DeSales’ Lyla Stewart would visit her cousin and play volleyball in their backyard.

“I was like I need to play this sport,” Stewart said. “I always wanted to play it when we went there and then it just transferred. I just fell in love with it.”

Fast forward to today, Stewart is wrapping up her career at DeSales and preparing for the next chapter, joining Wake Forest in the ACC next season. Not a bad rise for someone who first picked up the sport on a badminton net in her cousin’s backyard.

As a player, her statistics reflect that of someone who is efficient and targeted, something that is a combination of athletic ability and maturity as a player.

From her sophomore to junior season, Stewart’s production took a noticeable leap: averaging over one more kill per set, improving her efficiency by 6.2%, and cutting down on errors despite taking more swings.

“I used to be very much a heavy hitter and just glory swing,” Stewart said. “So, I learned to start hitting spots rather than hitting it hard.”

As a senior, Stewart’s kill totals have dipped slightly, but her efficiency has continued to rise: posting a 43.6% kill rate with fewer errors. The biggest addition to her game, though, has been a new weapon in her arsenal: the topspin serve.

The technique, more common in men’s volleyball, adds heavy spin to the ball and uses a full approach. For Stewart, it’s led to a surge in aces and given opponents one more element to worry about.

“I started top spinning during my club season last year,” Stewart said. “It has become a big part of my game. It lets me score a lot of points for our team.”

As a junior, Stewart tallied 64 aces, more than she had in her first two seasons combined. This year, she’s eclipsed that mark in 14 fewer sets. She’s averaging nearly one ace per set and lands a service winner roughly 30% of the time.

All of Stewart’s hard work has paid off with a scholarship to Wake Forest, where she’ll compete in the ACC. For someone who once dreamed of playing college volleyball in California, that wish has come full circle with Stanford and Cal joining her future conference.

“It’s always been a dream to go and do something in film,” Stewart said. “Not even acting, but like camera work. So, I was thinking California, but it didn’t work out that way.”

Choosing Wake Forest offered Stewart the best of several worlds: proximity to family, a chance to experience life beyond Ohio, access to a top-tier education, and the resources of a Power Four volleyball program.

“I ended up choosing Wake Forest because of it is a better volleyball conference and has a lot more facilities,” she said. “I am prone to shin splints and tennis elbow, so I knew that it would be so essential to me to have the resources that Wake Forest has.”

Before heading to the ACC, Stewart has worked to elevate the DeSales program and those around her. Whether it’s helping teammates understand opponents, fine-tuning technique, or boosting their volleyball IQ, she consistently takes steps to make the team stronger.

“We don’t have a lot of girls who play club, so they don’t have that level of experience,” Stewart explained. “So, I like to better people because it is something that develops us as a program.”

In the end, Stewart’s journey is defined by a player who leverages her own strengths to elevate those around her while continuing to grow herself. She may not be the biggest or the strongest on the court, but she proves that sometimes being smarter is what makes all the difference.

Stewart has a message for those who want success in volleyball or life in general: No one is perfect.

“Don’t compare yourself to others, just focus on yourself and what you need to do,” she said. “When you focus on what other people are doing, its a trap. You’re going to get where you need to be but work hard. It’s a fine line. Work hard, but also love yourself.”