Wrangler Spotlight - Alyssa Deanda
Wrangler Spotlight: Alyssa Deanda, Freshman, Infielder, Odessa, TX
Going to a school where your sibling has just left is a difficult thing for a lot of people. Being the third one in the family to follow your two older sisters, is something a lot of us would never even consider. For freshman, Alyssa Deanda there wasn't a hesitation when deciding where she wanted to go to school. Alyssa, is the third Deanda to come through the softball program at Odessa College following both of her sisters Hope (2015-17) and Cami (2017-19).
Alyssa, and the Wrangler Softball team are 15-3 this season. She was named WJCAC Hitter of the Week for her performance on opening weekend. Over a four game stretch she hit .545 with three RBI's, scored seven runs, and was a perfect eight for eight in stolen base attempts. Alyssa currently leads the WJCAC in stolen bases with 20.
Alyssa took some time after class and practice to sit down and talk about her time here at Odessa College.
Tell us about your journey to Odessa College and how you ended up here?
Both of my sisters, (Hope and Cami), played at OC, so I decided to follow in their footsteps. They both had good experiences here and I thought that it would be good for me too.
You are the third Deanda to play Softball at Odessa College. What is that like? Do you try and compare yourself to Hope or Cami?
I think its pretty cool to have followed them to OC. Its not very common that you see three sisters play at the same school. We all three are totally different. I think that OC saved the best one for last (me).
What was it like at home growing up with the two of them? Are you all competitive in everything? Did you all ever play on the same team? What was that like?
Yes, we are very competitive with everything. We talk about who was the best player at Odessa High and here at OC. We like to compare teams that we played on against each other's teams. I grew up playing with Cami and in high school we played on the same team my freshman and sophomore years when she was a junior and a senior.
What is it like playing for Coach Jackson?
It has been fun. He has made me a tougher, better player and has taught me a lot and helped me improve my game.
Do you have any pregame rituals or are you superstitious?
No pregame rituals, but sometimes when I am playing well I make sure that I do they same thing between innings.
You tore your knee up last year and had to sit out. What was that like?
It was really boring, I never had to sit out for an injury before. It made me realize how lucky I am to be able to play softball.
What has is been like playing softball and going to school during COVID-19 and a global pandemic?
It has been really crazy. Last year when our season got cut short, that was something we have never had to deal with before. To me, class hasn't really changed that much besides the mask and distancing things. We have more time to work on our studies but it is still pretty easy to get behind.
What are you plans after you leave Odessa College? Do you want to continue to play softball?
I want to continue playing at a four-year school, it doesn't really matter what level or where, I just want to keep playing. I want to study business so that one day I might open a business of my own, or maybe go to law school. The good thing is that with COVID-19, last year didn't count towards my eligibility, so I will have four more years to go to school and play softball. Hopefully by then I will figure out what I want to do.
Tell us what you like about being at Odessa College?
The people here are very supportive, there are always activities going on which make it fun. The support systems we have here, make it easier to accomplish my goals I set.