Hidden Talent: Ally Manzella
By: Fiona Wisehart Highlight Reel Creator: Ally Manzella Photo Credit: Courtney Chiappone
Ally Manzella (#12)
Position: Chaser
Team: Columbia College Chicago Quidditch (recently graduated)
You might not know Ally Manzella, but that's an oversight that FastBreak News Inc LCC is prepared to fix. She recently graduated from Columbia College Chicago (CCC). She plays chasers and was an integral part of the Renegades’ performance in the 2019-2020 season. She was only in her second year, but was already a top scorer. Her intelligence on the field and her shot makes her a deadly player. She further solidified her position as a player to watch by making the Indianapolis Intensity MLQ roster this summer.
CCC is primarily an arts college. It does not have varsity sports teams and there is a limited number of potential recruits for the club sports teams. At other colleges, a limited recruiting pool might create a lot of inter-sport competition, but at Columbia College Chicago, this has created a small, but close-knit, club sports community. Many students are members of multiple sports teams and they advocate as a collective when discussing budgets with the college administration. These students are friends on and off the field and frequently participate in inter-team bonding activities.
Video Editor: Ally Manzella
A lifelong athlete, Ally knew she wanted to play sports at Columbia College Chicago. She is highly competitive and was captain of her high school volleyball team. She quickly became involved with CCC’s volleyball team, becoming captain her freshman year. At the end of that year, she was convinced to attend a quidditch practice at one of the inter-team events. There were only a few practices left in the season, but she was already hooked.
Her first season, and the Renegades’ first official season, they played 10 games against college teams and only won 3. Her second season, the Renegades played 16 games against college teams and won 8. They more than doubled the number of games they won and increased their win percentage by 20%.
At regionals, they kept Kansas Quidditch, an established and talented team, in range and were down 30 when Kansas caught to end the game. They were a single win away from receiving a nationals bid, all with a roster of only 12 players. They went on to qualify for an at-large bid, their first ever nationals bid.
Ally’s competitiveness and drive has made her a rising star in college and now club quidditch. She contributes her success to her big dunk energy. Since graduating, she plans to become a certified HR and has joined Columbia’s coaching staff alongside Tad Walters and Columbia alum Ben Peachey. For Ally, this is just the beginning of her quidditch career and she doesn’t plan on leaving quidditch any time soon.
A Message from The Renegades:
“In the wake of the George Floyd protests, the quidditch community has been working on creating a more inclusive space for black, indigenous, and other people of color. Aligning with Columbia College Chicago's mission for diversity and inclusion, the Columbia Renegades Quidditch team is creating an academic scholarship for one freshman person of color (POC) every season starting in 2021. The scholarship will be need-based, and take into account leadership qualities exhibited throughout high school and from the first semester on the quidditch team. The board that decides the recipient every season will be a combination of team leadership and Student Athletic Association liaisons.”
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