PRINCESS ANNE, Maryland - Early 2018 saw Maryland Eastern Shore volleyball in a state of flux. After the departure of the coach who had brought most of the team to Princess Anne, those remaining settled in for life under Trevor Callarman, Hawk assistant-turned-interim boss. Team and coach alike needed an anchor. Enter rising senior and team captain Koya Sowells.
 
"A first we were like, 'What do we do now?'" said Sowells of that offseason. "There were a lot of unknowns. So we kind of just stuck together, built ourselves in spring to be better for ourselves, because we didn't know who our head was going to be. We kept working for each other, and that's what got us through that."
 
Things eventually stabilized as Callarman was elevated to his first Division I head-coaching role. From there, it was up to Sowells and the upperclassmen to bring their new boss's vision to life.
 
"[The key has been] lots and lots and lots of positivity," said Sowells. "It's new for all of us, and obviously nobody knows the future, but it was going about it with the right attitude that would help us to overcome the change. I told Coach Trevor whatever he needed, he could call me and I could help him learn the ropes."
 
"She has been very helpful in kind of helping me shift the program to where we want it to be," said Callarman. "She's that type of person who has the respect of her teammates both on and off the court. She really helps us push forward the new vision and new mentality. She's done a good job of making sure it's not only her that's bought in, but also her teammates."
 
As if weathering a regime change weren't enough to handle, Sowells soon found herself pressed into a new individual role, swapping out her longtime defensive specialist role for her original libero jersey in lieu of injuries on the back line.
 
"It was an adjustment, but it also helped that when I first got here I was a libero," said Sowells. "So I've got some experience there, but the biggest change is being in the game the whole time. Even if you're not having the best game, you still need to grind it out because your team needs you."
 
"Koya has handled that transition pretty seamlessly," said Callarman. "It can be tough to just switch rolls midseason, but the team has been really well with it. She's kept us solid, she makes big digs, she passes well. In fact, it's quite a positive to have her on the court more often."
 
Raised in Missouri City, Texas – a southwestern suburb of Houston – Sowells's first glimpse into volleyball came watching the vaunted University of Texas program. That exposure to the Longhorns, coupled with an early one-time encounter with then-Rice University player Remi Webb, ignited the then-11-year-old Sowells's fire for the sport. Soon Koya began to realize how far the sport could take her.
 
"My senior year was when I was like, 'I think I can do this,'" said Sowells of when she realized college volleyball was in the cards. "I went to a camp right before my senior year and I was playing with SMU's volleyball team at the camp – they would jump in and play against us – and I was doing really well, and I was like, 'You know, I can do this.'"
 
After one JUCO season at Panola College, Sowells embarked for the Division I ranks at Eastern Shore in 2016. She provided an immediate impact to the back line, earning a MEAC Defensive Specialist of the Week distinction that October. The next year was no different, as she became part of the backbone for a Hawks team that went undefeated in MEAC regular season play and made it to the postseason NIVC Tournament. Two distinguished seasons later, Sowells's teammates made her one of their captains.
 
"As a sophomore and junior I just found my place on the team with them, I found my voice on the team," said Sowells. "It kind of just came about naturally, and so when it happened, I wasn't surprised, but I was honored."
 
"Koya, she's like a spitfire of energy," said Callarman. "She's the kind of kid that can come on the court, rally the troops, and really make an impact outside of just her ability to play the position.
 
"She has this competitive edge about her, that whenever the game is on the line, she's [got] that extra fire, that competitiveness that not everybody has. So she brings that to the table, and she's a big bonding unit for the team. She adds a lot of cohesion."
 
With two trips to the MEAC Tournament cut short of the ultimate goal, Sowells and her four senior teammates sense the urgency of this one last shot at a conference championship. While she hopes to take a ring with her when her time at The Shore comes to an end, Sowells hopes to leave the rest on the court.
 
"I just want everyone to know that I did my best, put my best out on the court," said Sowells. "I want to leave a mark in people's heads as the best defensive player that I can be."
 
As for Callarman, he's savoring every moment with one of the shepherds of the new Hawk volleyball.
 
"I'm going to miss the little girl with the big heart," said Callarman. "She really does love her teammates, she loves the program, she's always smiling. We'll definitely miss having her energy, having her in the gym. Hers are tough shoes to fill."

After three matches on the road, including a visit to Koya's sister Victoria Baptista and Liberty on Oct. 23, the Hawks return to the Hytche Center to battle Route 13 rival Delaware State on Sunday, Oct. 28. Senior Day for Sowells and company is set for Sunday, Nov. 11 against Morgan State.