Allyson Sierra now knows her way to Southern Union Community
College’s campus in tiny Wadley, Ala. And she learned how long it takes to get
there … the hard way.
At least she wasn’t traveling east.
Sierra, a senior at Veterans High School, was an important
defensive presence for Nicole Miranda’s fledgling volleyball program and joined
the likes of Aspen Coggins, Jalyn Slaughter and Chloe Webb in making the
Warhawks state contenders and defending area champions in just three seasons.
Sierra’s relatively brief time in the sport – four years – was enough for her
to earn a college scholarship with Southern Union’s two-year team.
The road to Wadley for Sierra began in Columbus. She and
Coggins went to an open tryout at Columbus State.
“We didn’t make the team, but there was a coach there from
Southern Union, and she was really interested in me,” said Sierra, the daughter
of Arcadio and Laurie Sierra. “She told my dad about (her) tryouts a couple of
weeks after that and she wanted me to go check it out.”
That she did, and she had plenty of time to check out what
Wadley is all about.
“We forgot about the time zone,” said Sierra. “We’re so used
to Georgia (EST). My mom was like, ‘We need to get there at this time or we’re
going to be late.’ We ended up being an hour and a half early.
“(Wadley) is really small … in the middle of nowhere. No big
cities around it.
“I really like the (Southern Union) coaches. They are very
supportive. The people I met are very nice and welcoming. The campus was small,
so I could walk around. It seemed like a small school where I could get close
to people. They said the teachers were like family where they would treat you
like their own kids.”
As a student, Sierra said she wants to study nutrition and
exercise science. Her plan is to play for coach Ametrice Jackson for her two
years of eligibility and then look to transfer to a four-year program.
“The coaches were talking to me about how they take their
sophomores to tryouts to see where they can get scholarships,” said Sierra.
Sierra’s interest in volleyball only began when she entered
high school. It was a matter, though, of a younger sister watching and wanting
to be like an older sister. Kimberly Sierra is three years older than Allyson.
“She started playing when she was in ninth grade,” said
Allyson. “I would often go to tournaments with her watching her play. At first,
I was like, ‘No, I don’t like volleyball.’ Then when I watched her I was like,
‘I kinda like this sport.’
was out there with me pretty much every day teaching me the fundamentals. It
took hours and hours, but I finally got it.”
“I’ve had the opportunity to coach her for three years,”
said Miranda. “She was always very fundamental. One of her strong suits was her
passing. She always had good position on the ball, and the height of her
passing.
“A lot of people can dig a ball, but they dig it so high you
can’t get into your offense quickly. It gives their defense a chance to set up.
She had what I call a college-level height on her passes. As soon as she
passed, our setter was ready and we could set up something quick.”
“My favorite position is definitely middle back,” said
Sierra. “Passing was the first skill I learned from my sister. It’s so much fun
back there because they are hitting at you. Getting a good pass up feels
amazing.”
Sierra also played some outside hitter. Miranda also pointed
out her underrated talent: the serve.
“She ended up being our third or fourth serve,” the coach
said. “When Jalyn went off, she came on to serve. Getting those points in the
rotation where Jalyn goes off, it was important to have a strong server there.”
“(Veterans High volleyball) is the best experience I’ve ever
had. I’ve made some really good friends here,” said Sierra. “If it wasn’t for
them, I wouldn’t be here.”
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