LAS
CRUCES — Ariadnne Sierra's mother spent the afternoons selling bottled
water and homemade pozole during club volleyball tournaments in El
Paso.
After playing her first two
years at New Mexico State as a walk on, paying tuition hasn't been an
issue for Sierra's family the past two years. Sierra earned a
scholarship prior to last season and proved worth the investment with an
All Conference caliber season at libero for New Mexico State.
"She
worked hard to get that scholarship," said Centennial volleyball coach
Al Rosen, who coached Sierra's club team, the El Paso Diggers. "I knew
about her but when she played for me, I would bring coaches to take a
look at her because she is a dynamic athlete. Club volleyball is
expensive and she had to find ways to do it and it paid off for her. I
took a real interest in her and it's really nice to see her succeeding."
NMSU
head coach Mike Jordan said Sierra is among the best liberos he's
coach, putting her in the same sentence as former Mayfield High star
Krystal Torres. That's high praise for the 5-foot-2 senior from El Paso
Americas.
"It
was really important because we always struggled with money," Sierra
said. "We would clean the facility for the club team. It was my way of
re-paying my family."
Sierra was named the best
libero in the Western Athletic Conference last season, leading the team
with 548 digs, averaging 4.68 digs per set and a team high 43 service
aces.
Sierra was one of five Aggies named to the
2017 All-WAC preseason team as NMSU opens the regular season on Aug.
25 against Rhode Island in the Notre Dame tournament.
"She
has a go get it mentality that you want in that position," Jordan said.
"She's willing to play anywhere so we can move her in the backcourt to
get the ball and keep the ball off our setter more in years past.
"When
I watch other teams and even the great teams, which you know are going
to have a great libero out there, I would put her against anybody."
Rosen
pushed Sierra to walk on at New Mexico State. Hannah Walker was a
redshirt senior libero in 2014 so Sierra was competing against freshman
Kaylee Neal for playing time and Walker's spot the following season.
"I'm
a family oriented girl so I tried," Sierra said. "I have always liked
giving it my all and last year it got me to the Libero of the Year. It
was unexpected but it's great that it happened."
Sports Editor Jason Groves can be reached at 575-541-5459 or jgroves@lcsun-news.com. Follow him on Twitter @jpgroves.
