Every once in a while, Marisa Villegas will do something that makes longtime San Benito High girls’ volleyball coach Dean Askanas shake his head in amazement.
“She’s one of the best freshmen I’ve ever coached,” Askanas said. “Her game is incredibly polished for a freshman, and she continues to play well. Her, Allee (Smallwood) and Erica (Chapa) have been the heartbeat to our team.”
The Haybalers (19-10 overall, 7-3 Monterey Bay Gabilan) have two league games next week to close out the regular season — against Seaside and Notre Dame-Salinas — before prepping for the Central Coast Section playoffs.
“I like the fact we’re getting stronger and getting into good form for the playoffs,” Askanas said. “We’re on track for 20 or more wins, and any time you can get that many wins in a season, you’re doing something right.”
Askanas said Homestead-Cupertino, Salinas and Menlo-Atherton could be the top three seeds in the CCS Division I bracket, and the Balers would probably vie for the fourth seed.
Although San Benito doesn’t have a superstar on its roster, Villegas — who doesn’t turn 15 until August — has the potential to be one of the section’s dominant forces in the years to come.
Possessing a polished all-around game to go along with tremendous athleticism, the outside hitter ranks first on the team in service aces (39), and second in kills (195) and digs (290).
Villegas has been around the game her entire life. Her mom, Marlene, served as the junior varsity coach at San Benito for 10 years before moving on to her current role as a varsity assistant.
“I remember going with my mom to the games and yelling at the players to get their passes going,” Villegas said. “My mom means everything to me. I don’t know what I would do without her. She’s pushed me and taught me so much, and has been such a positive influence in my life.”
Although Villegas excels in every facet of the game, her attacks leave a great impression. From the moment one of her teammates deliver a pass to setter Chapa, Villegas starts her approach from way off the net.
When she jumps off the floor, Villegas does it with a controlled explosiveness that allows her to soar high above the net and pound the ball down with authority. Villegas credits her teammates for elevating her game.
“Playing with these girls, they’re like my second family,” she said. “It’s a great group, and that’s why we play well together. I believe we’ll go very far in the playoffs.”
Indeed, Askanas loves this year’s team because of its cohesiveness on and off the floor.
“Sometimes you may get a player who can be a cancer or nasty or belittling or whatever, and we don’t have that,” Askanas said. “When a player doesn’t get playing time, sometimes they’re not supportive. Fortunately for us, everyone on the team is supportive of one another. Everyone is on the same page in terms of our goals and aspirations.”
