Standing at 6-feet-tall and self-described as “massive,” it’s hard to believe N.C. State’s junior opposite side hitter Arlee Tamietti also describes herself as “the baby of six.”

“My family is really competitive,” Tamietti said. “I always got the bad end of the deal growing up.”

Now that she’s co-captain of the Wolfpack volleyball team and preparing to lead State to its first winning record since 1996, perhaps “the baby” has finally grown up.

Still, Tamietti’s journey to Raleigh almost didn’t happen, as West Coast colleges recruited Tamietti heavily and she ended up at Boise State.

Keisha Demps, State’s current recruiting coordinator and assistant coach, was an assistant coach at Boise State when Tamietti committed to the Broncos, but came to coach under Charita Stubbs in Raleigh before Tamietti arrived on campus.

After spending her first two years in the Western Athletic Conference, Tamietti decided to follow Demps to N.C. State in the off-season and was announced as co-captain of the team in August. “What brought me here, long story short, is I love the coaching staff,” Tamietti said. “I know all of them and this is the ideal place for me.” Tamietti said the team chemistry is great, and that compared to Boise State, the Wolfpack program is “more of a family.” “We’re a really close knit group,” Tamietti said. “The coaching staff generally cares about us and wants us to be successful later on in life and to, of course, have fun.” Tamietti and her fellow teammates will be looking to shatter expectations of a team that finished 3-23 last year, but said this year they have the personnel and drive to succeed. The team is 2-6 thus far this season.

“We all have talent and we want to display it on the court,” she said. “I think it’s going to be a good thing.”

Despite how close the team has meshed in the young season, it doesn’t require a detailed analysis to see what sets Tamietti apart from the other players.

“I think I have the most or the only tattoos on the team,” Tamietti said. “I have 29.”

Tamietti credited most of the tattoos to her being “spontaneous,” but said they all had special meanings, from a friendship tattoo on her ankle to the 16 stars all over her body. “I have eight hearts on my foot and side because I have eight people in my family,” Tamietti said. “I also got love on my wrist because I’m addicted to it. Who doesn’t love love?”