The freshmen jitters can shake up any new player during the first game of the season.

But for NIU’s Shelby Snyder, the Huskies’ season-opener against Cal-State University Fullerton was doubly unsettling.

Across the net from Snyder was her best friend, Stacey Blackburn and her former club coach of seven years, Marlin Sano—the head coach for the Titans.

“I was really scared before the game because I wanted to show my old coach (Sano) that I could handle leading the team,” Snyder said. “I wanted to make him proud of me and show him that he taught me well.”

Snyder, a Fountain Valley, Calif. native, did just that.

“It was kind of funny because he (Sano) kept getting mad during the match because stuff he taught me was working against his team,” Snyder said. “He came up to me after the match and asked, ‘Why do I keep training my setters to come back and beat me?'”

Not only did Sano make Snyder nervous, but Blackburn added additional pressure.

Snyder and Blackburn met six years ago when they started playing on the same club team. During high school, the two played on opposite teams but ended up being conference co-champions their senior year.

“It was weird having my best friend on the other side of the net because she’s usually the one I warm up with,” Snyder said. “Having her over there only made me even more competitive and determined to win.”

Since Snyder also practiced with a number of the players from CSUF this summer, the NIU setter found it to her advantage.

“I knew from playing with them and under their coach the kind of things they would try to do against us,” Snyder said. “I was more ready to read what they were planning to do.”

As it turned out, Snyder’s debut went smoothly.

“I felt really comfortable with the team and had no difficulty adjusting to college ball,” Snyder said. “I know what I need to improve on now and can go from here.”