By Kyle LoJacono
Madison Seuzeneau and Natalia Campos have been constants for the Steinbrenner volleyball team this year.
The seniors have been big parts to the Warriors’ 12-7 season, Seuzeneau as an outside hitter and Campos at libero, but their journeys toward this year have been completely different.
Biding her time
Steinbrenner’s captain of the backrow started playing volleyball in eighth grade at Martinez Middle after a friend suggested she give it a try.
Before that her focus was on tennis.
“That was my sport,” Campos said. “My parents are tennis players. … When I started playing volleyball I liked the team aspect of it. You can lift the team up, but when you’re not playing your best your teammates can lift you up.”
She originally thought her position was setter.
“That quickly changed like the first week,” Campos said. “I’ve been a libero since then.”
Campos said she gravitated toward the pressure packed position because she likes being able to deny the opposition of points with her digging. She joined Tampa United, a competitive club program, to advance her abilities as a libero.
She moved up from the Warriors junior varsity team to the varsity program as a sophomore, but her opportunity to start was limited.
In front of her on the depth chart was Cary Anne Bame, who was not only a three year starter, but also a team captain from 2009 to 2011 and has the program’s career and single-season digs record with 692 and 262, respectively.
Campos wasn’t frustrated coming off the bench. Instead, she took the opportunity to learn from Bame.
“I didn’t specifically watch her technique and learn from that, but she demanded certain things,” Campos said. “If she got a good pass she’d demand that that hit go in. I have that same demand, and I hold my teammates accountable just like my teammates hold me accountable. She showed that command.”
Campos recorded 149 digs and 25 aces last year after posting only a pair of digs and one ace as a sophomore. She began this season as the starter and has been wearing the off-colored libero jersey in every match.
“I really like it,” Campos said with a huge smile. “In club I always got to do that, but in high school you get to show all your friends and family I can play in club and high school.”
Seuzeneau said Campos has been more than up to the challenge of patrolling Steinbrenner’s backrow.
“She has stepped up phenomenally,” Seuzeneau said. “She’s always been a great defender. Cary Anne was a tough person to replace, but I think she’s done a phenomenal job filling those shoes.”
Campos’ first regular season match this year was at home against rival Sickles on Sept. 6. Campos said she was more nervous before that match than any other in her life.
“My teammates told me that they knew what I could do and to not be nervous,” Campos said. “That really helped. Every game from there I had that same command that Cary Anne had, and it’s flowed nicely.”
She had a career-high 35 digs in the straight set victory against Sickles that night. Campos has racked up 253 digs, 5.1 per set.
The Warriors libero said her she wants to play in college and has received interest and offers from several programs to do so.
Striving for versatility
Seuzeneau set Steinbrenner’s single-season kills record last season when she piled up 341.
Add those to the others she’s put down while on varsity, and the 5-foot-10 outside hitter has the program’s career kills record, which stands at 536.
Her hitting on the frontrow made the opposition cower, but something was eating at Seuzeneau.
She started at rightside hitter as a sophomore and outside last season, but whenever the rotation took her to the backrow she would be substituted for a defensive specialist. Seuzeneau wanted to play all the way around.
“Last season I didn’t do any passing,” Seuzeneau said. “I got subbed by Natalia Campos when I rotated to the back. … I’ve had to focus on passing. I know I wasn’t the best passer at first, but I worked at it the whole summer and preseason.”
Her efforts have allowed her to stay in the rotation this season.
“She improved so much,” Campos said. “Me and Madison are like best friends. We do private lessons together. The whole volleyball aspect of our lives is like always together. I don’t think there’s a weekend when we’re apart. To see her grow as a player really means a lot to me, and also when she plays backrow I know she took tips from me. That makes me feel like I’m contributing to making her better, so same way she’s helped me.”
Seuzeneau, who started playing volleyball in sixth grade at Walker Middle, said she loves playing all the way around because it allows her to help her team win in more ways than just hitting. She added the team aspect of volleyball is why she decided to focus on it.
“It’s not about one person individually winning or losing games,” Seuzeneau said. “It’s all about the team.”
Seuzeneau had 31 digs during her first three seasons. Through the first 14 matches this year she has 74.
Seuzeneau she also maintained her frontrow production, putting down 107 kills.
Seuzeneau said she wants to continue her versatile play while beating her own record for kills set last season because that will help the Warriors reach their team goal.
“Bigger though is I want us to win regionals and get to the final four,” Seuzeneau said. “We’ve gotten to the regional semifinals the last two years, and we want to get farther this year.”
Just like Campos, Seuzeneau wants to play in college and has a several offers as well as programs interested in her.
Campos, Seuzeneau and the rest of the Steinbrenner volleyball team played at Plant Oct. 8, but results were not available by press time. The Warriors host district rival Gaither Oct. 10 starting at 7:30 p.m.
—Follow Kyle LoJacono on Twitter: @Kyle_Laker
