From linebacker to middle blocker

Most volleyball coaches wish they could have a middle blocker built like a linebacker.

San Luis coach Patty Harvick has an actual linebacker anchoring her front row.

Joana Ramirez, after playing linebacker for the San Luis junior varsity football team last year, returned to volleyball and has given the Sidewinders some much-needed height as they look to make the postseason – a task that amounts to playing the waiting game.

While the Sidewinder season, along with the rest of the 5A Gila Valley Region, wrapped last week, some Phoenix-area regions are still playing this week. San Luis (10-6) entered Wednesday 15th in power points in 5A-I after peaking at No. 13 last week thanks to a win over region winner Cibola, the second conference win over the Raiders. The top 16 teams make the postseason.

“This week is just a waiting game,” Harvick said. “We’re just kind of in limbo, waiting around. The girls are focused. It’ll be nice to know one way or the other as soon as possible.”

Harvick said she thinks it will be the first playoff appearance for a San Luis volleyball team. She also said that Ramirez has been a part of that success, thanks to her size.

“She’s made a big difference,” Harvick said. “She’s really given us a chance not to be just a defensive team, but also an offensive team.”

Last year, Ramirez started on the volleyball team but quickly traded spandex for shoulder pads. She played in every game after she joined the team, even starting most of the time and netting a fumble recovery.

"It was amazing. The guys were all like brothers to me. They all took care of me,” Ramirez said. “It was a fun experience.  As far as I know, no girl had played football as a linebacker. They had played some other position like wide receiver that’s not that hard. I consider it really cool because I had that opportunity to play linebacker.”

Aside from the obvious difference between the sports of football and volleyball – they share little in common beside a ball – Ramirez said there’s a night-and-day difference between teammates in the two sports.

 “The guys don’t really care if there’s a girl. They treat you as a guy,” Ramirez said. “Girls are girls – they’re all girly-girls and care about makeup and stuff. Guys don’t. You can be yourself with them. With girls, you can be more confidential. But with guys, you can have your masculine side come out.”

Harvick said she is glad Ramirez morphed from a body at the net into a more well-rounded, offensive and defensive threat, recording 81 kills in 10 region matches.

“She’s had real good year,” Harvick said. “She started off slow. She didn’t play last year. I was hoping to have her at the net, maybe knock down some blocks for me, but she’s really stepped it up. She’s become the No. 1 hitter and blocker. She’s the only one who can get up over the net.”

Ramirez said she’s happy with the improvement she’s shown considering she hadn’t played much.

“I haven’t had as much experience as the other girls, so I consider myself not so good,” Ramirez said. “I try very hard, and I think I had success on my goal of becoming a much better player.”

But whether that improvement resulted in just a winning season for the Sidewinders or a playoff berth remains to be seen.

Harvick said most of the teams directly below the Sidewinders in the power rankings don’t play again, and most of the Phoenix schools don’t have region tournaments, which guarantee a playoff spot to the winner. That could knock a team out of the postseason if that winner is outside the top 16.

The highest ranked team below the Sidewinders with a game left to play is No. 18 Mesa, which has three unreported games.

“It’s a nervous experience because we want it that bad that we’re willing to practice extra,” Ramirez said. “We work as a team and we’re having fun at the same time. It will be a fun experience if we advance to state.”