Serving up wins

Lancaster's Neely now one of GL's best with Gutierrez in charge

This story appeared in the Antelope Valley Press on Thursday, October 19, 2006.

By SEAN LYNCH
Valley Press Staff Writer

Roxy Neely doesn't believe it's a coincidence that the same year she's broken out as one of the Golden League's elite girl volleyball players, her team has emerged as the possible team to beat for the Golden League title.

In the Lancaster High School senior's mind, both scenarios have stemmed from the same event - Dave Gutierrez's taking over as the Eagles head coach.

"A lot of the coaches I've had in the past didn't really tell me what to do," Neely said. "Coach G. came in and knew exactly what he wanted to do."

Neely said Gutierrez's specialty is breaking down people's approach and coming up with suggestions on how it can be improved.

Gutierrez had a number of suggestions for his returning first team all-leaguer.

"We kind of changed (Neely's) technique on pretty much everything," Gutierrez said. "I also came in and wanted to challenge her mental approach to the game.

"She was already what I believe to be the best all-around player in the league, but I wanted her to see that there are a number of different ways to get the point and that she didn't need to be one-dimensional."

Realizing things hadn't worked in her previous two years on varsity, Neely was more than receptive to Gutierrez's instruction.

Already possessing a good deal of volleyball's desired physical attributes from her years as a judo champion and Tae Kwon Do black belt, Gutierrez simply went about polishing some of Neely's rougher edges.

As one of the league's best all-around players with her ability to spike, pass and serve, Gutierrez identified ways to sharpen those skills and the end result has been Neely flourishing this season.

Among Neely's 2006 highlights are a season-high 27 kills against Highland and a 13-serve run against Frazier Mountain.

"It would have been easy for her to resist every step of the way," Gutierrez said. "There aren't too many seniors who would be open to completely changing their game. I think it speaks to her character."

The development of Neely's physical abilities is only half the transformation the senior has undergone under Gutierrez's tutelage. The first-year coach has also helped Neely become a better teammate.

Growing up participating in intense individual sports, Neely acknowledged she at times had difficulty working in a team setting.

On top of that, the ferocity that helped her become a national and international judo champion occasionally led to self-destruction on the volleyball court.

"There were times the last few years when I would get frustrated and start playing for myself," Neely said. "(Gutierrez) has taught me to rely on the team."

In addition, Gutierrez has helped Neely become the Eagles' true leader. Never one for big speeches, Neely said Gutierrez and she worked long and hard on how she approaches people.

"(Gutierrez) has taught me a lot of self-control," Neely said. "I've learned to calm myself down and control my emotions."

With her intensity held in check, Neely is free to inspire her teammates with her hustle, hard work and a jump serve that has become all the more confident and deadly.

"Roxy leads with her hard work," Gutierrez said. "The way she's willing to sacrifice herself to run a ball down inspires her teammates to do the same."

The mutually beneficial relationship that has developed between coach and player has led a resurgence in the Lancaster volleyball team.

An Eagles team that returned three players from a 2005 squad that tied for fourth in league, sits atop the Golden League standings with four games remaining.

Lancaster (7-1, 9-3) has already swept the season series of perennial league powers Quartz Hill and Highland and has only one team (Littlerock) remaining on its schedule with a winning record in the GL.

"Honestly, I had pretty high expectations for this season," Neely said. "I knew we had a coach coming in who had done good things with the junior varsity and that most of the team was going to be made up of those players, who would already be on the same page as him."

But Gutierrez said the Eagles' position in the standings wouldn't have been possible if Neely hadn't been willing to do what her team required of her.

Included in that was Neely's move to setter following Lancaster's only league loss to Littlerock on Oct. 3.

Until that point, Neely was the team's leader in kills and was sharing setting duties with sophomore Sefrina Starks, but Gutierrez decided the best course for his team was to put the ball in the hands of his best player as often as possible.

Lancaster's transition into the 5-1 formation has been seamless, with the Eagles posting a 3-0 record following the move, including wins over Highland and Quartz Hill.

"Sefrina was doing a great job, but we needed a little change to help put us over the top," Neely said.

Gutierrez said Neely's ability to change is what put the Eagles on this path.

"If Roxy had come in and continued to do what she had been doing, there is no doubt we would have lost some of the close matches we've won this season," Gutierrez said.

Now, player and coach sit just four victories shy of what they set out to achieve with their hard work.