Her name is Nigerian and means God’s gift, and while she plays volleyball at Grand Valley State University, Eno Umoh is exactly that to her team: a gifted leader. She is the lone senior – a team captain on a roster laden with young talent.

“What our team needs from Eno and how they need to see her as a leader is that actual go-to player on the floor,” said GVSU head coach Deanne Scanlon. “She has a great work ethic so they see that every single day, too.”

It was a leadership conference hosted by the GVSU athletic department that Umoh, along with teammate junior middle blocker Abby Ebels, attended in the spring to learn more about the qualities that make a solid leader. “The conference was amazing,” Umoh said. “It was interesting getting a perspective on how you can be a leader. Most people think the leaders are the ones putting the numbers up, but it is really the people who have everyone’s respect and how you can give back to your team.”

Umoh’s athletic skill set is second-to-none, but of all the unique traits that comprise her character, it is the double dose of senior and captain leadership that truly stands out. “Eno is definitely one of the most athletic girls in our conference,” Ebels said. “She and I always have a battle every time we do physical testing. She is super passionate about everything and she just loves to live. She is so energetic and is entirely crazy. Her passion is what keeps a lot of girls going in practice. She is the one talking all the time and being the encourager.”

Leadership and seeing the court didn’t always come easy for Umoh, however. She was redshirted her first year at GVSU. Then as a freshman and sophomore on the volleyball team, it was a matter of earning the respect of her teammates and continuing to grow as a player. “She came in with very little high school experience, basically a raw athlete,” Scanlon said. “But she has a passion for what she does and has put in a lot of work to get to where she is at. You love for things to pay off for kids that trust you and trust the process. She has had some bumps along the way but has fought through them.”

Toward the end of her sophomore year and transitioning to her junior campaign, Umoh really came into her own, becoming a focal point in the team’s offensive and defensive schemes. Now a fifth-year senior, her role has never been more clearly defined and her leadership never depended upon more, but it is something that her experiences have prepared her for. “It is a great honor to be a team captain,” Umoh said. “For the young ones, I am just trying to be a great example and show them what it takes to get to my position. I want to show them that you need to be strong.” While her uniqueness, from her skills to being the only senior, sets her apart on a team filled with underclassmen, how she has grown and matured is something not to be forgotten.

Umoh ranks ninth on GVSU’s all-time assisted blocks list with 310. After earning All-GLIAC second team honors last season, her goal is to challenge for GLIAC Player of the Year this season. With her skills and leadership qualities, moving up the all-time list for blocks and being recognized as the best player in the conference are within reach in her last hurrah. “It is extremely exciting because I feel like every game is like my last go,” Umoh said. “I go out there with the mentality that I am going to have fun; I am going to play hard, and I am going to leave the court with no regrets. That is my goal for every game because it is my last time and it only happens once.”
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