Campus News

VOLLEYBALL: Leadership, toughness define Hays' career at ETBU

MARSHALL, Texas (11/4/09) – It had to be a weird offseason and summer for East Texas Baptist University volleyball senior Jane Hays.

She knew going in to this season that she would be the only senior on a Lady Tiger team full of freshmen and young sophomores. Outside of junior Kourtney Adams, who was playing at Panola College this time last season, there was going to be no one on the roster with much if any collegiate volleyball experience.

Lady Tiger head coach Lyndsay Mashe was confident, however, in the leadership ability of Hays. So confident, in fact, that Mashe was somewhat comfortable at starting the season with the youngest team she’s ever had at ETBU in her four seasons as head coach. Comfortable that the team could continue its tradition of competing for the conference championship, and comfortable that whatever adversity the team faced, she had a tough, seasoned veteran to lead the young ones through the fire.

"I’ve never had to worry once in four years about what I’m going to get from Jane,” said Mashe. "She plays her heart out every time on the court and is a great leader on and off of it. We are going to miss her on the floor very much after this year, but I think we will miss the leadership and toughness she brings to our program just as much.”

Hays and the Lady Tigers have at least one more go at it together this weekend, when ETBU (20-10) travels to Richardson to face McMurry (17-11) in the first round of the American Southwest Conference Volleyball Championship Tournament. First serve in that match is set for 12 p.m. at Texas-Dallas’ Activity Center.

As is typical at this time of year due to the reckless abandon-style with which Hays plays the game, her body is beat up. The aches and pains of diving after balls on the floor, running into benches and scorer’s table, or simply just playing the game in practice or matches has taken its toll once again on the fiery senior. But Hays feels she has one challenge left, and that is to lead this young Lady Tiger squad into the postseason and take another run at the conference championship.

"I expect McMurry to play us very hard,” said Hays, who is the only player in the history of the program to rank in the top 10 in kills, digs and aces. "They are a good, athletic team has potential to make big runs against anyone they play. I expect us to play the best that we have all season. We know what it takes to be successful and each team that we play can possibly beat us so I think that there will definitely be revenge on everyone’s minds.”

There has been no shortage of adversity for ETBU this season. The Lady Tigers endured a slow start to the season that saw them not eclipse the .500 mark until beginning a 10-match win streak. The team was saddled with two crushing losses in the second crossover tournament of the season in Abilene, losses that virtually knocked them out of any contention for the ASC East title.

At the same time, injuries have shelved or hampered the team’s continuity at different times during the year. And to top it all off, the team was hit with a flu bug around the middle of October that forced Mashe to actually cancel practice during the week because of the amount of players affected.

It’s at times like these where teams need leaders, and Hays picked up on the challenge.

"I have been really proud of our ability to overcome unexpected problems,” she said. "We have had so many people get the flu or go down with injuries and we have been able to work as a team to play together. People have stepped up in ways that have enabled us to continue to be successful, and that gives everyone confidence.

"The biggest thing that I have tried to stress during the season is that no matter what kind of challenges we face, we can always work hard to get past them. Doing the little things right is what makes a team successful, to be a winner you have to act like one every time you practice, when you’re in the classroom, and even during personal down time.”

Hays arrived at ETBU as a freshman in 2006 from Hereford, Texas, and her versatility and leadership qualities have made her a bedrock for Mashe, who was in her first season as head coach. Hays has never led the team in kills at any point in her career at ETBU, but when the team needs a big point, there is an excellent chance the ball is going to be set for her.

Her effort and toughness has also made its mark. Two years ago she injured her back while diving for a ball near the ETBU bench, and it’s an injury that has continued to give her trouble at times. She has endured other nagging aches and pains this season as well as illness herself.

It’s that kind of effort and performance that Hays feels she owes to the program simply because of the tradition that’s been built with ETBU volleyball. The Lady Tigers will be making a ninth straight trip to the postseason, with Hays now having made four playoff appearances. ETBU has won or shared the ASC East championship twice in her career, and the team is coming off its first appearance in the ASC title game last season since the program’s last conference championship in 2003.

"It is my job to make sure everyone understands what it takes to be a part of ETBU volleyball,” Hays said. "We never back down or give up in the face of adversity. I feel like it’s my job to inspire hard work within each player we have. I know I have to put out maximum effort every time I step on the court because so many people before me have worked their tails off to make our program successful. I never want to do anything to mess that up. Dedication to excellence is a motto that I believe fits the tradition of our program.”