The whistle blows and the track erupts.

Wheels scrape sharply against the polished floor. A tight wall of skaters lock shoulders. In the center, a girl looks around at her teammates and braces for impact. When the jammer charges, she doesn’t flinch — she leans in.

On the roller derby track, sophomore Jessalyn Casall isn’t just another skater.

She’s Stardust, a nickname only her team calls her.

Jessalyn skates for the junior league of the Dallas Derby Devils, competing with both her home team, Rolling Rebellion, and the advanced Junior All Stars travel team. After starting in 2022, she has grown from a beginner afraid to fall into a reliable blocker and emerging leader during a rebuilding season for her team.

“It was super welcoming,” Jessalyn said. “I started from just knowing how to move on my skates to doing a whole bunch of stuff I never thought I would have been able to do.”

Before roller derby, Jessalyn spent six years rock climbing alongside her dad. But she felt ready to step away from the sport shaping much of her childhood.

Looking for a new sport to keep her active, she discovered roller derby almost by accident. 

Jessalyn was attending a game to watch her friend’s sibling and the energy of the track hooked her without understanding the rules of the game.

“Roller derby is a really fun sport to watch,” Jessalyn said. “Even if you don’t know what’s going on, you can watch people hit each other, and as long as you know that, I think it’s fun.”

Roller derby is a full-contact sport played on an oval track with five skaters from two teams on the floor at once. Four blockers form defensive walls, while one jammer, identified by a star on their helmet, scores points by passing opponents. The game requires constant communication, quick decision-making and controlled physical contact — skills that Jessalyn’s teammates name as her strong suits.

“She’s such a reliable player and teammate in general,” teammate Katy Davis said. “She’s a really great communicator and works really well with all of our players. She takes feedback and communicates with the rest of the people [on] the wall.”

Jessalyn primarily plays blocker, a position allowing her to stay engaged in the action without the repeated laps required of jammers. Blocking gives her the opportunity to focus on strategy and teamwork, but she said the collaborative nature of the role is what she loves most.

“You are always making contact with people,” Jessalyn said. “When you make a good move, it’s not just one person that made that good choice, it’s everyone collaborating together.”

Teammate Claire Koch said that Jessalyn’s character makes her invaluable to the team. In a sport built on contact, Jessalyn still prioritizes sportsmanship and kindness.

“She’s a really kind person,” Koch said. “When we were in walls together she was really stable and calming, especially when I was stressed. She [is] able to take over and show leadership.”

This season is a turning point not just for Jessalyn, but for the whole team. After struggling in previous seasons and rebuilding from pandemic losses, the junior team has already secured four wins in the first month of competition. Their next tournament, The Clover Cup, is taking place March 13-15.

“One of my favorite memories is us realizing that we are gonna make it this year,” Jessalyn said. “We’re expecting to keep seeing that happen.”

Jessalyn is also an active member in theater at school. With about six hours of practice each week, plus additional workouts, she has learned how to juggle commitments while staying active. She said she hopes to continue skating through high school and make the most of the experience.

“I don’t personally see myself going past high school,” Jessalyn said. “I’m happy that roller derby just fell into exactly the right place and time for me.”

This story was originally published on The Hawk Eye on March 24, 2026.