Around the World with Adit: Yanlis Feliz
This season's WAC Player of the Year honors is just one of the many awards Yanlis Feliz has earned in her volleyball career.
Yanlis started practicing volleyball at a local club in Pedernales, Dominican Republic.
Back then, it was not the only sport she practiced. In the ages of nine to 10, Yanlis got into track, tennis and softball.
Softball was special in particular as it is something the her father, Israel Feliz made her try. Israel was a baseball player.
Israel eventually had to give up his dream because after a few years of juggling mutliple sports, Yanlis realized that volleyball is the one that she truly liked and decided to focus on the one.
"My father said, 'if it's something that you want to do, then stick with volleyball' he was supporting," Yanlis said.
Yanlis practiced and competed with local club Pedernales for seven years before moving to Mirador V.C. at Santo Domingo. Around the same time she transferred, the Dominican Republic National Team called her as a representative in 2016.
The 2016 NORCECA Championship U-18 was her national team debut and could not have gone any better. The Dominican Republic won their second consecutive championship winning Yanlis winning the best Opposite Hitter honors.
That was just the beginning of her run on the international stage. A year after, she competed with the U-23 National Team at the 2017 FIVB Volleyball Women's U-23 World Championship in Slovenia.
"I was one of the youngest players of the team (17) and was the cornerstone of their offense as their main Opposite Hitter," she said. "Having the burden as one of the youngest in the team was hard, but the pride of having to represent my country international level is just indescribable."
They placed fourth in the tournament.
Yanlis still represent the Dominican Republic National Team for championships, her last appearance being the 2021 U-23 Pan American Cup, where they won their fifth consecutive championship at Aguascalientes City, Mexico.
What makes her last international appearance different than her previous ones is that she is now an Opposite Hitter for Chicago State rather than Mirador V.C. and the story of that switch did not involve much contemplation.
In 2019, fellow Dominican Republic national volleyball player Celenia De Leon opened Yanlis to the idea of playing collegiate volleyball in the U.S.
Celenia, a then setter for Seward County College, told Yanlis of her experiences playing for the community college.
Despite being a rising star in the Dominican Republic volleyball scene it took Yanlis less than three months to decide that she is making the switch to collegiate volleyball.
"I knew right away that I wanted to come and play here," she said.
Her parents, Ailin Sena and Israel were shocked when they were told of her decision but realized that it is what their daughter wanted and understood that it would benefit her.
In August of 2019 she became part of Seward County College volleyball team led Tony Trifonov, now head coach of Chicago State volleyball.
The most significant difference she encountered transitioning to the collegiate level was the coaching style.
Yanlis recalled how the national coaches she worked with were strict to the point where she would break down.
"They are amazing coaches, but at times they are a little too much for me," she said. "I experienced great change in that aspect when I moved here to the U.S."
The days of burdening-strict-coaching seemed to be behind her.
"I have more freedom in how I play now, and I think I'm a better player this way," Yanlis said.
Yanlis was named KJCCC Player of the Week seven times on her freshman year as the 2-2019 Jayhawk West Regular Season and Region VI Champion with the Saints.
She played 34 matches averaging 4.73 kills each as a Saint, proving she is a vital offensive force.
As Trifonov was named Chicago State head coach in 2020, Yanlis transferred with him.
"I love Coaches Tony and Mariela. They made me feel like I have somewhere I belong here in the U.S., and needless to say, they also made me a better player," she said.
Yanlis feels she has become a better defensive player and can now play a full rotation, primarily thanks to Trifonov's teachings.
Two years into competing as a Cougar, Yanlis led CSU to their historic fall 2021 season.
Outside from her improvement as a player, Yanlis think the biggest improvement she had as a person is becoming more independent.
She said she relied on her parents a lot while still in the Dominican Republic but now she lives on her own. It also seemed that her parents grew more trust on her since she moved to the U.S., Israel used to be very invested in how Yanlis plays volleyball.
"He would tell me where I should be in the court or what I should do but now he no longer does that," Yanlis said.
When asked about what she would do for fun as a kid growing up in Pedernales, Yanlis said she spent much time hanging out on the beach. Malecon de Pedernales is a famous beach in her hometown where she would spend time with her family.
Yanlis loves her her family and hometown, which became the reason why she chose tourism as her major, it being an important economic sector for the Dominican Republic.
"I just want to be part of what my country is known for, and it's tourism," she said.
For Yanlis that is just an alternate post-graduation goal, the first is to break into the professional league.
Her first destination is to play in Italy, where her favorite player and fellow Dominican Republic national player Brayelin Martinez played.
"She is my favorite player and also my friend that now plays in Brazil," Yanlis said.
After mentioning that, she said Brazil is another place where she wants to play professionally.
Despite talking about the future, Yanlis still enjoys her time at Chicago State and looks forward to win a championship as a Cougar.
