If at first you don’t succeed try, try again.This is the motto that Ohio State senior Yoshiko Mitsuta has followed since her freshman year, and this year it has paid off, she has earned a scholarship position on the women’s volleyball team.Mitsuta said that while she is excited and honored to receive the scholarship, it really hasn’t changed many things for her.”My approach to the game hasn’t changed since I got the scholarship but it was pretty exciting, especially for my parents,” Mitsuta said.OSU volleyball coach Jim Stone said that Mitsuta earned the scholarship with her hard work and team leadership.”She works real hard in practice and in the weight room and she is highly respected by her teammates,” Stone said. “We have a very young team and ‘Yoshi’ does a great job of establishing herself as a role model for the younger players.”Mitsuta, a native of Tokyo, Japan, decided to attend OSU after hearing about the university’s volleyball program from a friend. “I came on an unofficial visit, and everything looked so nice that I decided to come here,” Mitsuta said. “I had a tryout with Jim and passed it, but I didn’t have the right SAT score, so I couldn’t play for a year.”Mitsuta did spend her freshman year traveling as the team manager until finally getting to play and start in 13 contests her sophomore year.Over the last two seasons, Mitsuta has seen limited playing time as she usually substitutes for a starter near the middle of a game while sometimes not getting to play at all.”It’s frustrating, but I just try to focus on how the team is doing and try to keep myself ready for when the coach puts me in,” Mitsuta said. “If the team wins, I’m happy.”OSU athletic trainer Carrie Lux said Mitsuta’s positive attitude and enthusiastic presence have played a vital role in the Buckeyes’ success this season.”Coach Stone often puts ‘Yoshi’ in when the team needs to regain momentum during a match,” Lux said. “She just seems to lift up everyone around her.”With the Buckeyes off to a slow 4-4 Big Ten start this season, Mitsuta said that her goal is to help her team turn its year around by winning most of the rest of its games and making the NCAA championship tournament.And then, after her senior season, Mitsuta said she hopes that she can continue to play volleyball for years to come. “I want to play professionally after I’m done here, either over in Europe, or over in Japan,” Mitsuta said.