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Tuesday, October 5, 1999
Miller volleyball becoming second-year success story
By Stu Duncan
Caller-Times
The Miller varsity volleyball team has taken consistency to the extreme in District 28-5A matches this season.
Not that Lady Buccaneers volleyball coach Joni Luna minds.
Luna said consistent results were missing from last year's team after Miller split with district champion Victoria then finished tied for second.
Problem solved.
The Lady Bucs are threatening to earn their first District 28-5A volleyball championship in the program's second year of existence.
Miller (10-6) is 6-0 in district matches this season and could put more distance between itself and the Stingerettes (3-3) today when the Lady Bucs travel to Victoria to play at 7 p.m. The Lady Bucs have opened a two-match lead in the District 28-5A standings over second place Carroll and King, which are tied with 4-2 district records.
"I've been really surprised," said Luna, who also coached six of her Miller players during their eighth grade year at Driscoll Middle School. "I knew we had some kids that could play. But we didn't place at our (the CCISD) tournament and when I saw how much better King, Carroll and Ray were I thought 'Oh my gosh.' So we came out and I started pushing (the players harder in practice), they started pushing and I think it was an eye opener for us as far as what we needed to do to take care of business come district time."
Miller started the district season with a 15-13, 15-10 victory against the Stingerettes and haven't looked back.
"We've always wanted it, we knew we could get it but we just hadn't quite reached it," Miller junior middle blocker Noemi DeAlejandro said when asked if she were surprised by her team's quick district start. "We're still not where we want to be but we're still moving up the ladder instead of just staying there."
'They're a little more confident," Luna said. "That's the main thing I see in them. (Middle blocker) Clatisha Clay would come out a lot of times last year and say, 'Coach my stomach hurts, my shoulder hurts, everything is hurting.' This year it's like, 'I'm ready to go."
With the help of setter Sandra Ruiz's 94 assists, the sophomore Clay leads the Lady Buccaneers with 51 kills and 35 blocks this season.
Clay said DeAlejandro - who has a team-leading 16 aces and is second to her with 37 kills and four blocks - has been influential in her development as a volleyball player.
"She's a very good athlete," Clay said of DeAlejandro, "and watching her makes me want to be like her. She's my role model."
Clay isn't alone in seeking guidance.
Defensive specialist Jennifer Martinez (15 digs) and middle blocker Melissa Alvarado (38 digs and 17 kills) join Clay as the only sophomores on Miller's varsity. Alvarado is second on the team behind Jenilee Rivera (39 digs).
The Lady Bucs have also prospered despite no senior leadership. Miller has no senior to speak of on this year's team, which leads to a bright future for next year.
There are more immediate concerns for Luna and the Lady Bucs, however, than the playoffs or next season's outlook.
"I told the kids, we're 0-0," Luna said of the topic of Monday's team meeting. "It's a new district round and we could very easily finish 6-6. There's no sure thing."
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