BY GREG LUCA | STAFF WRITER
DONNA — Last season, opponents got used to seeing Donna High’s Yvette Tamez dominate the middle of the volleyball court.
While they can expect to see more of the same in 2015, Tamez has been working to add other facets to her game, too. Already a strong hitter and blocker, Tamez has expanded her abilities to include passing and even setting.
“I’ve just really worked a lot on controlling and being more consistent in everything,” Tamez said.
With Tamez returning to join libero Kara Yanez and middle blocker Sarah Gonzalez as the team’s anchors, Donna High is looking to build off last year’s playoff appearance — the team’s first since 2005.
Now a senior in her third year on varsity, Tamez is trying to raise her level of play and bring along some of her younger teammates, as well.
“She’s looking to play at the next level, so she’s stepped up her game,” coach Cindy Viesca said. “She’ll be a force this year.”
Although Donna High is looking to replace District 32-5A MVP Marina Martinez, Tamez said her role isn’t changing much from last season. Martinez led the team with 442 kills, Tamez was second with 390, and no other player had more than 109.
“I just want to follow in her footsteps, because she really motivated me a lot last year,” Tamez said. “Just follow in her footsteps and do what she did.”
Viesca said the biggest improvement she’s seen in Tamez is confidence, something she “lacked a little bit” last year. Along with that, Viesca has seen Tamez become more team oriented.
Tamez said she’s been pushing the newcomers by telling them how rewarding it was to reach the playoffs a season ago. Yanez said Tamez plays a huge role in keeping team morale high.
“She picks everybody up,” Yanez said. “She’s the one who is jolly, and she’s good with us. She’ll pull us aside if we’re having a bad day, and she’ll talk to us. She’ll bring us back up.”
Tamez has been strong as a defender for Donna, but she quickly defers credit to Sarah Gonzalez, a senior who led the team in blocks last season. Viesca said that the middle blocker duo is Donna’s biggest asset.
Gonzalez is 5-foot-10 and had 167 blocks last season, while the 6-foot Tamez had 128.
“It’s so much help for me,” Yanez said. “I know I can trust anybody out there. I can trust Yvette, Sarah, I can trust anybody in the front row. I know I don’t have to do all of the work.”
With Yanez racking up digs whenever the ball gets by Donna’s huge block, Viesca said the defense will probably be the strength of the team. Donna just needs its young outside hitters to get up to speed, and to have sophomore setter Adrianna Martinez grow accustomed to running the offense on her own in a 5-1 setup.
Even with new pieces at an early stage of the season, Yanez said Donna’s chemistry is already strong.
“We act like sisters on the court,” Yanez said. “This year, compared to last year, I think it’s more of a family. We’ve come together more this year than we did last year.”