Central College Athletics

Emma Wagler
Des Moines, Iowa
Class of 2025

Why did you chose Central?

I first started looking into attending Central my sophomore year of high school. I had a former assistant volleyball coach from Central as my club coach and she had so many great things to say about the program so that was what first got me thinking about it. I also liked how close it was to home and the feel of a tight knit community that the school has overall.

Favorite professor and why?

My favorite professor is probably Dr. Russ Benedict. He’s taught multiple of my biology courses, including my favorite class I’ve taken by far, tropical ecology. He always keeps things interesting in class and it's obvious he loves what he does and the things he's teaching us about which I find really valuable in a professor.

You’re majoring in Biology and Psychology because?

I’ve always found myself interested in both of these fields of study even throughout high school. I plan to attend school to become a Physician Assistant following my time at Central so I also thought these would be good majors to guide me to becoming best prepared for that career path.

Besides athletics, what else are you involved in on campus?

Besides volleyball I am also a part of the Best Buddies group on campus which was started last school year.

Who are your go-to musical artists?

I have a pretty broad music taste but by far I have to say Taylor Swift is my all time favorite for life. I also really like Zach Bryan, Frank Ocean, and Megan Moroney.

How has attending Central and playing a sport impacted your life?

Having the privilege of being able to play a sport in college has been an experience I will forever be grateful for. Ever since I started playing volleyball I knew I wanted to play at the collegiate level and being able to fulfill that dream has been amazing. I’ve made some of my best friends in my time at Central and experienced some of the best moments of my life in the past few years which I wouldn’t trade anything for. I’ve gone through a lot with injuries and 2 knee surgeries in the past few months and going into senior year, I’m grateful to play one final season with teammates I love.

Best restaurant in the Des Moines area?

I would have to say The Waterfront in West Des Moines is probably my favorite. They have the best sushi and seafood and I would literally eat there everyday of the week if I could.

Who is the loudest person on the team? (thinking about in practice/celebrating during games)

I would have to say the loudest person on the team when it comes to cheering in games and practice is probably Josie Delaney. She's always encouraging teammates on the bench and in games no matter what.
 
Favorite character in an animated movie?

I would have to say Dory from Finding Nemo.

What words of wisdom would you pass on to your high school self?

I think I would just like to remind my younger self to make every moment count and not sweat the small stuff. At the end of the day there's only so much time we have to do what we love at this competitive of a level and taking advantage of that for as long as possible is truly such a valuable thing that I don’t think you really realize until your time is almost up.

Favorite TV Show

I have quite a few shows I love but my top few are probably Greys Anatomy, The Office, and Breaking Bad.

What’s it like to play for Coach Czipri?

Playing for Coach Zip is a really fun and unique experience. She likes to keep things interesting in practice everyday, always making up new drills and throwing balls off of the ceiling of Kuyper for us to get touches on. My favorite part of playing for Zip is probably knowing that I can always rely on her to give her full effort to every player in the gym. She makes an effort to connect with each and every person on the team on a personal level beyond volleyball which is something I think is really different in her coaching style, especially when we have over 30 girls on the team.

What’s your favorite part about being a member of Central volleyball?

My favorite part of being a part of the Central volleyball team is the sense of community we have built in the past 4 years that I have been here and knowing I have so many girls who are there for me. Being a team captain and getting to watch myself and my teammates grow as people over time has been a rewarding experience that I wouldn’t trade for anything. Being a part of a growing culture and building relationships with so many people on the team is something that's made my experience at Central special and impactful in my time as a part of the program.

What do you hope to be doing 10 years from now?

In 10 years from now I hope to be a Physician Assistant, living on a beach somewhere in Florida. I’ve lived in Iowa all my life but honestly I would move to be anywhere near a beach tomorrow if you asked me.

Favorite food from Central Market

Although underrated I think the bourbon chicken and rice has got to be my favorite meal at the Market. Anytime there's bourbon chicken I know it’s going to be a good day.

Bucket list

There's a lot of stuff I haven’t done that I would love to do in my life but at the top of the list has to be traveling all around Europe, run a half marathon, and go scuba diving.