General | Friday 06/14/2019

This week in our summer feature series, we were able to catch up with former Aggie volleyball player Alyssa (Gintant) Dooyema and ask her some questions about her time at New Mexico State, her time on the volleyball team and her post-playing career.
 
Dooyema started her playing career at Iowa State but transferred to NM State as a junior, where she made an immediate impact on the team. In Dooyema's first season as an Aggie, she played in all 32 matches and averaged 8.4 assists with 18 service aces on the year. The Aggies climbed as high as 13th in the 2007 AVCA Top-25 Poll, which still stands as the highest ranking NM State has reached in program history.
 
As a senior, Dooyema and the Aggies took down then-No. 6 Hawaii in straight sets in Honolulu – which was the first victory over a top-10 team in program history. The Libertyville, Ill., native wrapped up her career with NM State with 1,620 assists, 28 service aces and 43 kills over 67 matches.
In addition to her stellar play on the court, Dooyema was also a star in the classroom earning Academic All-WAC accolades both years with the Aggies.
 
Following her volleyball career at New Mexico State, Dooyema graduated with a degree in marketing with a minor in advertising in 2009. Her first job as an alum was with the Greater Las Cruces Chamber of Commerce as a retention coordinator. While still working for the Greater Las Cruces Chamber of Commerce, she was hired by the Las Cruces Vaqueros as a promotional director for the 2011 baseball season.
 
Dooyema then plucked by the Delmarva Shorebirds to be their business development executive, where she was responsible for organizing and executing special promotions for the Shorebirds, as well as non-baseball events at Arthur W. Perdue Stadium. While with Delmarva, Dooyema was recognized for her excellence with the Female Executive of the Year award in 2014.
 
Dooyema then took her talents to the NBA in 2015, where she currently works for the Phoenix Suns. She has since been promoted to her currently role as the Senior Activation Manager for Marketing Partnerships.
 
Prior to being recruited by NM State, had you ever heard of Las Cruces or even New Mexico?
I had not heard of Las Cruces, but I had heard of New Mexico! Visited the four corners when I was in elementary school and was big into geography in high school.
 
When did you know you wanted to go to New Mexico State?
When Mike Jordan reached out to me! I transferred in from a different university. I am forever grateful to MJ and the NM State volleyball coaching staff for giving me such a great opportunity to continue to play the sport that I love, excel at my position and continue to play with a strong team that went to the NCAA Tournament year-after-year.

Do you remember who your roommate(s) were freshman year and what was one of your favorite moments with them?
As I transferred in my sophomore year, I do remember my first roommates and we will have that bond forever. They took me in as a member of the family without question. My favorite moments would be the American Idol viewing parties that we had, as well as when we all baked cookies together and made homemade aprons.
 
Did you ever get on a Coach Jordan's bad side? If yes, what did you do?
It is a rite of passage to get a red-faced MJ to get on your case! It's what made him a good coach and was definitely a motivating factor.
 
What did the rivalries with UNM and UTEP mean to you and your teammates?
It meant that we went, competed and were expected to win, which we did. I would say the Hawaii rivalry meant a lot too and it was an amazing feeling when we beat them my senior year in Hawaii. I'll never forget that game!
 
Where was your favorite place to eat while at New Mexico State?
SO MANY options. Caliches, The Shed, Lorenzo's, High Desert, Dion's, Farley's, Si Senor.
 
What is your fondest memory from your career here at New Mexico State? What was your most embarrassing moment that you look back on now and laugh at?
A fond memory would be our trips to Hawaii and again, beating Hawaii in their house. I remember my junior year we were able to take a plane with the football team and then watch them after our game, that was a fun experience to have together. My most embarrassing moment was when I was a coach at our volleyball camps over the summer. I was demonstrating some setter footwork and I rolled my ankle so much so that I injured it.

What first comes to your mind when you think back on your time at NM State?
Grateful! New Mexico State gave me an opportunity to play the sport I love, took me in as family and was just as competitive as my previous team that I came from.
 
Can you talk about your role is at with the Phoenix Suns and what led you there, including your time with the Shorebirds?
I am currently a Senior Activation Manager of Marketing Partnerships here with the Phoenix Suns. In my role I am a "promise keeper" as I ensure that all of our sponsorship contracts are fulfilled and all assets within the agreements are executed. I had the opportunity to come to the Phoenix Suns after my time with the Delmarva Shorebirds, a Single A affiliate of the Baltimore Orioles in Salisbury, Md. I was excited to take the leap from minor league baseball to professional sports, as well as an indoor sport that had less games and didn't require me to pull tarp at 6am! With the Shorebirds I not only "activated" as I currently do, but sold sponsorships, booked and oversaw all non-baseball events at our stadium. I learned so much during my time in minor league baseball and it was a great foot in the door to sports as you wear so many hats and meet so many people! Also lots of freedom and fun marketing promotions that minor league teams area able to execute made it really enjoyable as well.
 
Going from the Chamber of Commerce to the Delmarva Shorebirds, did winning Female Executive of the Year give you extra motivation or prove to yourself that you belonged?
Most definitely! I graduated from New Mexico State University during the recession, so jobs were a bit challenging to find after graduation. The Greater Las Cruces Chamber of Commerce was a great stepping-stone into the business world and aligned pretty closely with what I do today in regards to keeping members happy and ensuring they were taking advantage of all their member benefits. Winning Female Executive of the Year was icing on the cake at the Shorebirds and was a great honor that my GM pushed me to be nominated for. I was honored that I won the award, which also automatically entered me into the running as the Rawlings Women Executive of the Year that year as well.
 
You earned your bachelor's in marketing with a minor in advertising. What parallels can you draw from your time at New Mexico State to how that's helped you've excel in your career?
I always loved marketing and I love sports, so upon graduation I thought to marry the two together! I love the passion that fans have. My favorite and most rewarding part of my job within the sports world are seeing those fans reactions not only to the team's performance, but the special experiences or mix of marketing assets that we put together and how excited fans are to see player X, or how big their eyes get when they are on court doing one of our promotions.
 
What advice would you give student-athletes now making the transition into the work force?
To utilize the drive, passion and leadership that you learned and bring it into the workplace. There are many parallels between the two. I wear it like a badge of pride as well, because we are lucky and fortunate to have had the student-athlete experience and compete at the level that we did while also juggling academics. It takes a special type of person to be successful at both.