Colorado State University Athletics
Barnes Looks to Lead Rams
9/10/2008 12:00:00 AM | Volleyball
Sept. 10, 2008
By Luke Simmons
Athletic Media Relations
The BIG year is here for the Rams - a returning cast that includes three all conference seniors, four other returning letterwinners, and a slew of highly-recruited underclassmen are eager to make their mark on Ram volleyball history. But fans, coaches and players all agree - no one is bigger to the Rams' success than returning All-American Mekana Barnes.
Being an All-American, however, may not have caught anyone more off-guard than Barnes herself.
"If I were to set my own goals, that would not be one I would set - being an All-American. It was a surprise, and a blessing and I'm happy that I got it," Barnes said.
She may be humble, but the numbers Barnes posted in 2007 don't lie. She was the only player in the NCAA to be in the Top 10 in hitting percentage (.401) and blocks per game (1.65). She set a Mountain West record with 19 blocks in a match, and led the conference in both assist blocks and total blocks. Finally, she earned Mountain West Player of the Week honors a conference record-tying four times.
Barnes, a local product from Highlands Ranch, Colo., has amassed quite the trophy case in her three years at Colorado State. Along with the aforementioned All-American award, she also is a two time all-conference middle blocker and the reigning Mountain West Player of the Year.
And to the surprise of no one, she was tabbed as this year's preseason Mountain West Player of the Year. But she is careful not to get complacent, and is always looking to improve.
"This is a whole new season, and every summer that I've stayed here and worked out I've gotten better physically," Barnes said. "So, I hope that my skills as a volleyball player will continue to improve. I don't think I ever can stop getting better."
With all the chips in place, the Rams are slated to make a deep run in the NCAA tournament. But Barnes is quick to note the importance of taking one game at a time.
"We try not to get too far ahead of ourselves. We have meetings where we set goals, and we talk about what a great opportunity we have this season. We can do great things if we take care of business."
And taking care of business early will be a priority for the Rams, who face North Carolina, Florida, Utah and BYU - all at home - in an eight-day span during the middle part of September.
"It will really test our ability to perform well over and over again and play and consistently at a high level," she said of the key home-stand. "To us, it's important to win as many games in Moby as we possibly can, because we have such a great advantage playing here."
After going 14-0 at home last season, the Rams are not looking to drop any games at Moby anytime soon. Led by Barnes, the team hopes to build on the success of past seasons and make this one the most memorable in Colorado State volleyball history.
All they can do now is prove it on the court.
