Spike after spike, bruise after bruise, it's Gayle Tripp's job to dive in front of volleyballs hit at up to 65 mph.
"You have to be fearless - no reservations and balls to the wall," Tripp said. "I sacrifice my body, my face and my arms to step in the middle of the court and find a way to pop the ball up."
Three concussions and countless bruises later, the senior libero holds the record for UNM's all-time career digs and is leading her team into its final two games of the season. And for the first time since 1994, Tripp may have dug her team a way into the NCAA Tournament.
The team is 21-6 overall and has posted an all-time-best conference record of 11-5. The Lobos also rank in the top 20 in the nation for attendance. But Tripp said the road to this year's success has been long.
A short girl's love
Daughter of the executive director of the New Mexico Activities Association, Tripp grew up with sports.
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She ran track, played basketball and started volleyball in the fifth grade. Fellow UNM teammate Jeanne Fairchild and Tripp started on the same club volleyball team when they were 10 years old, and they even played the same outside hitter position. But as Fairchild and most others grew, Tripp did not.
"I just kept waiting for my time to grow a little bit, but I didn't," she said.
In a sport dominated by tall, jumping women, the 5-feet-2-inch Tripp knew if she wanted to continue playing the sport she loved so much, she'd have to accept a different role.
"I knew my position days were over," Tripp said. "There's no hope for a 5-feet-2-inch setter or hitter. But defense is what I was best at, so it became a reality. Tall people use what they use to their advantage on the front line, and I use my being quick and low to the floor to my advantage."
It's worked.
Tripp earned first-team All-State honors for three straight years at Rio Rancho High School and led the Rams to state titles in 2002 and 2003, with runner-up finishes in 2001 and 2004.
In 2005, Tripp accepted a scholarship to UNM.
The rebuilding years
Tripp left a high school volleyball dynasty and came to a struggling Lobo program.
The Lobos hadn't posted a winning record since 1996. The 2005 and 2006 teams combined for a record of 24-34.
Then, with Paul Krebs taking over and hiring Jeff Nelson as head coach, Tripp said the program was revamped. With facility improvements and training adjustments, the Lobos went 16-13 in 2007 and have come even farther this year.
"Our offseason training, playing internationally, and hard work and change you put in - it's amazing to have been a part of reshaping this program," Tripp said. "We adapted to and embraced it, and now we're 21-6."
With the majority of the spotlight going to kill and ace leaders, Tripp said she could care less about personal recognition.
"I know my teammates' glory reflects on me," she said. "I'm the first contact, so the better dig and pass I produce, the better set my hitters will get. I provide a solid base and foundation for the play, so my defense supports the offense."
With Tripp's dig total at 1,551, Nelson said he agrees.
"She is an outstanding passer, which leads to more success hitting," he said. "She's worked hard the last year and a half and has been one of the best passers in the Mountain West Conference. She's taken a big role, and I think she's got a good shot at first team all-MWC. I think she's earned that."
The home stretch
With two non-conference games left to play, the Lobos have a chance to improve one of the best records in UNM history and get to the NCAA Tournament. The team will find out its postseason fate Sunday.
Tripp says this year is the pinnacle of her career but that getting a bid is about more than just the tournament.
"As far as the program goes, we have made getting to the tournament a goal, whereas in the past, it wasn't even a thought," Tripp said. "Now, it's a goal, and hopefully for future Lobo teams, it will be an expectation."
And on a personal level, Tripp says it's one final chance for her to pull up her knee pads and strap on her ankle braces.
"As a senior, you have so many lasts - it's so scary," she said. "These could be the last games I ever play, but if we get a bid, it's one more day of practice I get to spend at Johnson Center with my best friends."
Up next: Volleyball vs. New Mexico State
Friday, 6 p.m.
Johnson Gym
