Finding Her Place on the Field, Softball’s Sierra Sass

In her rookie season, Sierra Sass saw action in 37 of 43 games. With an early start, Sass, now a third-year, has had time to grow as a player and as a person, most notably in the way she carries herself. 

“I think I’ve seen and had good mentors while being near older teammates,” Sass said. “And seeing how they maturely go about things, carry themselves, their drive, are things that I learned that I know I can take out of college when I graduate.”

Sass got her start playing softball when she was 8 years old after one of her friends decided to start playing. Sass’ parents signed her up for the recreation league and she’s been playing the sport ever since. 

During her third year at Marist High School in Orland Park, Ill., Sass helped lead her team to a state championship with a 38-1 season record, earning an honorable mention as an All-State pick. The next year her team returned to the state championship again, finishing as runner-up. 

When it came time to think about college, Sass said she was drawn to Loyola for its close proximity to her home, the chance to live in the city and the ability to travel to different places in the Atlantic 10 conference. 

Sass said she was intrigued by the community aspect the Loyola coaches presented to her. 

“The way that the coaches described how the team is and how the experience would be — I honestly think they were really spot on,” Sass said. “I’ve enjoyed my teammates, the coaches and the atmosphere of Loyola’s softball.” 

Head coach Alicia Abbot said the coaching staff admired Sass’ speed and her abilities to cover the outfield and get on base.

Headed into her first year at Loyola, Sass quickly adjusted to the level of collegiate play. She said her confidence grew throughout the 37 games she played during the 2023 season. 

She said the jump in mentality allowed her to develop an early sense of how to manage both school and softball as a student-athlete. 

“Overall, it totally lifted my confidence and taught me good work ethic from the beginning getting here,” Sass said. “Because starting as a freshman, I thought was a huge honor, so I definitely wanted to prove that that was for a reason.” 

At the end of her rookie season, Sass recorded three RBIs, earned 16 runs and stole 13 bases while hitting over .300 — the second highest on the team. 

The team community was a key factor in keeping her uplifted and having fun during the college transition, Sass said. 

Fourth-year and fellow outfielder Riley Owens was a mentor to Sass in navigating the physical and emotional efforts on the field.

Being an outfielder means being the last line of defense, which adds extra pressure to the position, according to Owens. Owens said she’s worked a lot with Sass on how to handle the pressure and feel confident out on the field.  

Owens said Sass’s defensive contributions as an outfielder have been crucial, especially this season.  

“Her defense has saved us a lot of runs, and I feel super confident playing out there next to because of that,” Owens said. 

With the two both being outfielders, they’ve competed for the same roster spot in the past, but 

Owens said the expected tension between them never existed and they’ve always had a supportive friendship. 

“There’s no hard feelings, but I think we’re definitely each other’s go to person on the field and practice,” Owens said. “ I think that’s just super cool to see from two people who at one point were kind of competing for the same position.” 

Aside from her performance on the field, Sass serves as a team captain and brings positive energy to the team — something both she, her teammates and coaches have seen develop alongside her maturity since arriving. 

Sass oversees the little things as a captain, such as equipment management, and she’s always hyping the team up during games and practice, according to Owens. 

“She’s just so fun to be around inside the sport and outside too,” Owens said. “I think she’s a great role model for our underclassmen.” 

Abbott said Sass’ selflessness has allowed her to grow as a player, while her positivity — something Abbott said doesn’t come naturally — is something Sass has worked really hard on and tries to live by.  

As the Ramblers continue their season, Sass said she has goals both for herself and for the team. She said she hopes the team can keep winning and working hard to win the A10 championship, while she looks to continue contributing to the team in any way she can. 

Offensively, Sass currently leads the team with a .353 batting average and a team-high 18 stolen bases out of 19 attempted. Defensively she boasts a 94.4% fielding percentage from the outfield. 

Owens highlighted Sass’s abilities on both sides of the ball, which she attributed to her confidence on the field. 

“She’s become a spark plug for our offense and our defense too,” Owens said. “She’s just developed this trust and confidence in herself, I think, and I believe that’s pushed her to be so successful.” 

When not on the field, Sass says she’s a very adventurous person and enjoys doing random things around the city. She loves thrift stores and is grateful for the wide selection in Rogers Park.