Bryan volleyball team's lone senior no stranger to pressure

Alyssa Micheletti's first varsity volleyball match was as an emergency replacement her sophomore season for the Bryan Lady Vikings.

"I was so scared," Micheletti recalled of her fill-in performance for setter Kaylee Piatt in a district match against Copperas Cove. "I had butterflies in my stomach. Everybody was really nice and said don't worry about it. Coach was like 'No pressure, Alyssa.'

"We lost in five. I went in in the fifth game. She got injured in the fourth game."

Micheletti is the only senior in uniform for the Lady Vikings as they take the court in bi-district play against Mesquite Horn at 8 p.m. Tuesday at Fairfield's Johnson Activity Center. Now, if she feels pressure, Micheletti doesn't show it.

"There is the individual pressure that this could be the last time I'm playing, and I've got to make it worth my while," Micheletti said. "Everybody gets down, but I've been told I don't get down when I make a mistake. Usually, when somebody makes a mistake, I'll take the blame for it, to try to take her mind of it. It's knowing I can handle the pressure if they can't."

"There's not a whole lot that shakes her," Bryan coach Caroline Simpson said. "She's going to play no matter what the situation. She's always upbeat and you don't see her get down on herself. She plays the same all the time."

Micheletti has been a steady player on a team that had to restock its roster with freshmen last season. She rotates in on the right side and is strong on the service line.

"Unlike last year, when we had a bunch of freshmen and they were just little fish, they are playing with a bunch of juniors and matured really quickly," Micheletti said. "They are into the game, intense, and all of them know how to get it done. They are soccer players and softball players, too, and all are intense athletes. When it comes to volleyball, they just want to win."

At this point, Micheletti's only sport is volleyball, serving up a heavy load of advance placement classes at Bryan High. On the court, her timely serves have been important.

"I have always had a strong serve," Micheletti said. "My club coach is now an assistant coach and he said 'Oh, Alyssa. I wish you were still on my team. Every time you went to the serving line, I knew I would get three or four points.'

"I feel like I'm really dependable with my serves and I'm always serving at game points."

Simpson said Micheletti's aggressive serving comes in handy.

"She has an important role being on the right side. You're normally going to have to block bigger hitters. When Abby [Cullen, setter] takes the first ball, she's got to take the second ball to get it to one of our hitters.

"Those right sides, because they're not the go-to person offensively, they tend to slip under your radar. ... She's an important part of this team."

Senior Haley Hampton has 241 kills for the Mesquite Horn Jaguars (11-23), who finished second in 11-5A, behind champion DeSoto, with a 7-3 district record.

"I think in some ways they are like us, with a big hitter and a supporting cast around her," Simpson said. "I think they're a little bit bigger than we are, but most teams are, so we're used to that. I think it could be a really good match up."

Bryan is coming off a four-game win over Elgin in a warm-up Friday. The Lady Vikings (8-6 in 12-5A) are 19-23 this season.