FORT COLLINS, Colo. – A different colored jersey in volleyball has similar meaning to that of a goalie in soccer. If the front line fails, the libero in volleyball is responsible for cleaning things up. 

Coming to a new town, new team and new teammates, Colorado State's Alexa Roumeliotis was immediately placed into a competition for the starting spot. Now, she's making a difference in each contest. 

"It's comforting to know that if I don't get a block, I have people behind me to back me up and support me," Katie Oleksak said. "If I get a high touch off of a block, Alexa is going to run it down. That's so reassuring as a blocker, as a setter and as a hitter."

The team's newest addition leads in digs (200) and has appeared in every set thus far for the Rams. Roumeliotis is averaging the seventh-most digs per set in the Mountain West (3.77) and has been a key cog in the team's defense, which ranks second in the nation in opposing hitting percentage (.101). 

Roumeliotis hails from Creighton, where she served as a defensive specialist. Being from a fellow national powerhouse in volleyball was a good appetizer for her time in the spotlight of coach Tom Hilbert's dynasty. 

"I think there's a maturity level with being a transfer, coming two years from a Division I, elite school," Oleksak said. "That really builds, 'She gets it, she gets the team vibe, she gets the rules, she understands those things.' So it's easy to integrate into a new team like this." 

Another comforting factor for Roumeliotis, though she is originally from Northern California, was family which was already present in Colorado. Once she chose to head to Fort Collins, a caravan of cousins awaited her arrival with tips on the new location. Oleksak, her roommate, also got an early chance to welcome the newbie. 

"When she first got here, I wasn't here in the summer and she lived with Katie," Olivia Nicholson said. "Katie and her got along from the start, so I was like, 'Okay, cool.' Now that I've gotten to know her, she's like a quieter version of Katie. She'll tell the little funny stories, she's goofy like we are. She really has just fit in perfectly." 

The first person to suggest the addition of Roumeliotis as a transfer pickup was associate head coach Emily Kohan. After trusting the numbers, Hilbert made a push to add her to his veteran-laden squad. 

"Emily watched her on film. I just trusted the statistics that she was a very competent serve receiver and Creighton's a good team," Hilbert said. "(She was) playing for them and her passing numbers were better than their libero and we needed a good serve receiver. Emily watched her and said, 'I think she's pretty good,' so we pursued her and got her."

The spot was one with big shoes to fill. Amanda Young, Nicholson and others have all dawned the libero jersey in recent years. All have had success, putting the onus on Roumeliotis to continue the trend. 

Pressure is nothing new for her. Roumeliotis chose to fit in the best way she knows how. 

"Just coming in, my goal was to play as hard as I could and do the best I could and whatever was going to happen was going to happen," Roumeliotis said. "It's worked out pretty well."

The constant hard work has been a boon to the team's success. Just like her teammate Breana Runnels – who members of the team also compare Roumeliotis to – she leads with a calm demeanor. On a team full of vocal leaders, her silence speaks volumes.

"I think she's a very composed, mature player that has made a gigantic difference on our team," Hilbert said. "We needed a really solid ball-handler, defender. We needed a real anchor on the serve receive and she's given us both of those things." 

The Rams are searching for glory with a "Why not us" mentality. Roumeliotis' seamless fit has done little to counter their beliefs. 

If anything, it's made them even stronger.\