Expanding their roles in their team's community – even more off the court than on – is one of the main attributes that both Grand Canyon University Women's Ultimate player Anika Freshour and Grand Canyon University Men's Club Volleyball Student Leader Liam Peterson share as they've watched their places on their respective teams get an overhaul. That's a key component to both being honored as GCU Club Sports November Student-Athletes of the Month.
 
Anika Freshour - Women's Ultimate
 
Coming off the heels of an impressive 2^nd-place showing at the USA Ultimate New Year's Fest, you would never believe that GCU Women's Ultimate senior Anika Freshour is still fairly new to the sport.
 
But it's the truth.
 
"Honestly, I hadn't ever owned a pair of cleats before I started playing Ultimate here at GCU," said Freshour. "I've always been really active and competitive, but my athletic background was in volleyball."
 
How did a volleyball player from Grand Rapids, Minnesota even end up in Phoenix playing Ultimate? It wasn't that complicated.
 
A desire to pave her own path as the youngest of four, combined with some help from a family friend that suggested she try taking a GCU Discover trip, made GCU's campus in the Phoenix heat feel like an easy choice.
 
"I remember loving the campus when I came to visit," said Freshour. "GCU felt like it was the place for me almost right away."
 
From there, a GCU Men's Ultimate coach and resident director in her building named Jake Dibley noticed her competitive spirit and desire to stay active, and suggested she come out to a few practices. It's been a part of her GCU journey ever since.
 
Despite being new to the sport, Freshour has quickly become a key player for the team, and one that was nominated for SAOM honors by both her coaches and teammates. As a cutter, she thrives in the fast-paced, team-oriented nature of Ultimate, a position that has allowed her to showcase her competitive spirit.
 
"If handlers are like the quarterbacks on the field, then cutters are like the receivers," said Freshour. "I enjoy getting to run out into space and work as a team to get downfield."
 
In addition to the on-the-field success, Freshour has continued to make a significant impact off the field throughout her years on campus. A senior in GCU's Elementary Education program, she is currently student-teaching at Sunset Elementary while also serving as a resident assistant in Ocotillo Hall.
 
"I've learned a lot of skills in my RA position that have helped me be there for the younger players that we have on the GCU Ultimate team," said Freshour. "I'm a big people person. Our team is mostly new this year, and being able to set a good example for them and help them learn in a gracious and loving way translates to all the parts of life and leadership."
 
Faith is also a large part of Freshour's life. Finishing up a Minor in Short-Term Missions, she recently took a trip to Tunisia, Africa, to teach middle-school aged students English for a month.
 
"It was an amazing experience that I'm so grateful to have been a part of," said Freshour. "Being able to pour into those kids had a big impact on me and my faith."
 
Freshour's faith is an everyday thing and an integral part of her GCU Ultimate journey.
 
"I grew up as a Christian and I center my life around it," said Freshour. "Being able to be part of a Christian community on campus and even on the Ultimate team has been incredible. We have bible study and enjoy having fellowship in the Lord on the team. GCU Club Sports has been a big blessing for me in the last few years."
 
Liam Peterson - Men's Club Volleyball
 
"Pure joy."
 
GCU Men's Club Volleyball player Liam Peterson uses that term a couple of times, since he's been experiencing that throughout his four-year journey at GCU.
 
It's even sweeter now because he gets to see those closest to him – his club volleyball mates – feel it, too.
 
"All 14 guys on the team come hungry to play, to practice, to improve," said Peterson. "We realize it's club, we pay to be there, but for those two weekly practices and four hours, we want to make the most of it, and the guys have bought into that concept. As a leader, being able to care for every single guy and see them want to succeed as a team instead of individually is so gratifying. There's been bits and pieces of that in previous years, but this is the first year everyone has brought that and are friends with everyone else."
 
They've had to work for it over his four years with the program, and so has Peterson – both on the court and off. It started when he took the plunge of leaving his home state of Colorado (he's from Highlands Ranch) for the first time ever, and head to a university that wasn't even on his radar until late in the process.
 
"It's March of my senior year (at Mountain View High School), and I'm supposed to go to University of Colorado-Boulder. I had paid my housing deposit and all that," said Peterson. "I came down here to see spring training baseball with a friend who was committed to the University of Arizona. We went to the game, then visited (Arizona State University), but by that time, I'd already blocked GCU on social media because they were so persistent in their marketing. However, I had buddies in a youth group that were going to go to GCU, decided to visit them to see what it was all about, and had the overwhelming feeling that this was where I supposed to go. I even asked my father about when the Lord is telling you to go somewhere. I gave it a shot, and the rest is history."
 
It took all of the first day of his first semester to have his choice validated, and other things have only reinforced that.
 
"The very first night at GCU, I met my girlfriend, and she's why I'm staying in Phoenix (after graduation)," said Peterson. "Then came the volleyball community, the Christian community, the church I'm plugged into, and the overwhelming sense of how cool these four years has been. It's been a leap of faith and a test from the Lord to do this, but I've been so rewarded for doing it."
 
The 'volleyball community' has been a work in progress, though. Peterson had never played club volleyball before arriving here, and he felt at a disadvantage for a while because of that. Coaching changes and team buy-in his first two years didn't help. Two blessings spun things around for him, though: the arrival two summers ago of Lopes' Head Coach Eric Palmer, who put the task of creating a positive culture in front of him and fellow senior Tyler Pease; and the friendship he and Pease have formed with each other.
 
"We came in as freshmen, and he's just been a fantastic teammate, friend and co-leader," said Peterson. "This dude brings the highest motor. He tries the hardest, works the hardest, and puts all his effort into forming relationships. That fire he has is connecting us, and makes people want to follow. I wouldn't be here without Tyler. We value each other in every circumstance."
 
The improved culture has paid dividends all spring with record-breaking performances at the MLK Invite and the SCCVL Crossover Tournaments in successive California weekends. In a fiery sport, though, Peterson points to the humility and servant leadership that his GCU Club Sports Leadership Classes have instilled as how the team differs from others when they're winning.
 
"When people are looking to you as a leader, it's so important to play with joy and be grateful. It's not about demeaning the other team," said Peterson, who will graduate in April from GCU with a Bachelor of Science degree in Accounting (with an emphasis in Public Accounting). "GCU has truly embodied the nature of being classy. Don't swear. Don't rub it in. I truly want the other teams to do well. We try to make every game an equal opportunity for both teams, and it's instilled in the culture, and I've experienced so much growth in my faith with that philosophy. We truly gave our hardest shot, but we served the Lord in the right way."