By CLAIRE CRUZ, Staff Writer
A lot of dedication and sacrifice was put into Dominique Mena’s volleyball career, by herself and her support system.
Mena was a student-athlete who traveled from Mexico every day to attend and compete for Brownsville Veterans Memorial in volleyball and track & field. She was raised by her mother and grandmother, and she expressed gratitude for their time, effort and constant support to help her achieve her goals.
On Thursday, Mena saw “their seeds become fruit” as she signed to play volleyball for Cedar Valley College in Lancaster, Texas. She’ll be competing in the Dallas Athletic Conference of the National Junior College Athletic Association.
“I feel very excited, but also nervous because I’m leaving (Saturday). I’m closing a chapter in my life, and I’m very thankful for this opportunity and I’m excited for what’s next,” Mena said. “When I was little I just played for fun, but when I started high school I was, like, ‘This is a big sport in my life that I really want to keep playing when I graduate, so I have to put more out there and give it my all so I can achieve that,’ and here I am.”
Mena began playing volleyball when she was 11 years old for her uncle, Carlos Tijerina, in Mexico. She played for Club Hormigas and was selected to represent the state of Tamaulipas.
“They gather girls from different cities to play together, and I had the opportunity to represent the state and that helped a lot with what I have achieved,” Mena said. “It gave me a lot of opportunities because a lot of coaches saw me play and I met a lot of different types of athletes, and it taught me a lot.”
Mena played with the Brownsville Spikers volleyball club for several years, and she was thankful for all the lessons her club coaches taught her. Three were on hand to celebrate her signing — David Rodriguez, Mario Blanco and Dolores Olguin-Trevino, who guided her through the recruitment process.
“I met Dominique when she was 13 years old, and, honestly, I knew right away she was going to become a great player, not only because of her athletic ability but (also) her enthusiasm and passion to learn the game and improve,” Olguin-Trevino said.
Brownsville Veterans coach Lisa Mares lauded Mena’s attitude as much as her athletic abilities. Mena played every rotation, and Mares pushed her hard because of her skill. Mares said the way Mena handled her heavy workload set a good example for her teammates and had a positive impact on the program.
“She’s one of those players that you can push to the limit and she’s not going to fold,” Mares said. “It’s awesome for a team to see how she handled things. She had a lot of pressure on her, but she knew how to handle it.”
Though Mena is a versatile player, she said she most enjoys being a hitter. Mares believes Mena will be a defensive asset for the Lady Suns because of her uncanny court awareness. Mena said she’s just grateful for the opportunity and will play anywhere she can best help the team.
Mena will be studying international business at Cedar Valley. She knows college volleyball won’t be easy, but her journey, family and supporters have her equipped to take on anything.
“It takes a lot of discipline (to do what I did),” Mena said. “If I had to be here by 7 a.m. I had to wake up by 4:30 a.m., and sometimes I wouldn’t even get to eat breakfast, so (assistant volleyball coach Arnold) Torres would be, like, ‘Hey, you need some snacks?’
“I feel like what has given me the strength to do all this is that I need to build a future for myself to live a better life, and I’m going to give it all I’ve got,” Mena added. “My mom has been a great leader for me. I love her so much, and I’m proud of her work (to help me get here).”