Story Photos
 Photo by Roger Werth R.A. Long's Shyra Hoffman, who led the Jills in kills the past two seasons, is right at home above the net. She and the Lumberjills meet Heritage tonight in their home opener. |
Natural born hitter: RAL's Shyra Hoffman takes command on court
Tuesday, September 12, 2006 7:30 AM PDT
By Rick S. Alvord
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E-mail this articleIt's not uncommon to find Shyra Hoffman with a cue stick in her hand, shooting a game of pool with her friends at a local bowling alley.
Or in the kitchen preparing her favorite dessert: cupcakes with rainbow-chip frosting.
Those are things Hoffman does for fun, to keep herself occupied when she's not doing what comes so stunningly naturally to her.
Because what makes this somewhat shy, billiards-playing, cupcake-baking 17-year-old really happy is unleashing one of the most vicious right-arm hammers in all of Washington high school volleyball.
"There's nothing better than getting that perfect set, then going up and hitting it to the floor," said Hoffman, a senior at R.A. Long, who leads the Class 2A Lumberjills into their home opener tonight against 4A Heritage at the Lumberdome.
"The timing has to be right and you have to make sure you get it past the block," she added. "When you're able to get up, pick a spot on the floor and slam it ... that's fun. Really fun."
Not for the girls on the other side of the net. For them, it's like trying to avoid a hail storm.
Hoffman stands 5 feet, 11 inches and has long legs with superb springs. The combination of her height and leaping ability has made her one of the most dominant volleyball players in the state.
She admits to turning out for volleyball in the seventh grade at Monticello Middle School because she was tall ---- and only because she was tall. It took a while for her to realize that volleyball was something that required nurturing and cultivating, if she wanted to get the most out of it.
"It was always fun, but I didn't start taking it seriously until probably the ninth grade or so," said Hoffman, one of the driving forces ---- literally ---- behind the Jills' success last season, when they captured the Greater St. Helens 3A League and District 4 titles, and earned a berth in the state tournament.
"My life revolves around volleyball now. I can't live without it. I remember just playing because I was tall. But then I really started to like it," said Hoffman, who has grown four inches since the seventh grade. "Between my sophomore and junior years, I started to get more consistent. Now I think that's probably my biggest strength. I'm consistent."
R.A. Long will again rely on Hoffman to supply her share of kills to the offense as it marches into its first season in the new Greater St. Helens 2A League, competing against perennial 2A power Woodland.
She'll have plenty of help, too, with the addition of Alyssa Wistrick, another 5-11 hitting machine who transferred from Mark Morris to RAL at the end of the 2005-06 school year.
"It's so much fun having Alyssa here. I'm glad she came over," Hoffman said. "I think we're going to have a great season as a team."
While spectators' jaws routinely drop when Hoffman pounds a kill, it's her blocking that impresses Jills head coach Jennifer Godinho.
"Shyra's a great hitter, but her best asset is her blocking. It's tough for anyone to get the ball past her," Godinho said. "She jumps really well, which is a tribute to how hard she has worked in the weight room. She's been in the weight program for three years and it has helped her vertical (jump).
"This year," the RAL coach added, "we're going to use her all the way around (front row and back row). She's also one of our best passers. She's never played all the way around before, but she knows a lot of college coaches look for that."
Hoffman would just as soon let others brag about her athletic skills. It seems she's more comfortable talking about baking cupcakes than spiking volleyballs.
Being humble and soft spoken, however, doesn't mean Hoffman isn't a vocal leader.
"She used to be pretty quiet and wouldn't say much," Godinho said. "Now she's very vocal every time she steps on the floor. She's a strong leader and knows how to take charge. Being a senior, she has really stepped up in that category.
"The thing she does is work hard to make the players around her better," Godinho said. "When she was a freshman, I probably said her name more than anyone else. But she has really stepped up to a whole new level."
Hoffman blossomed the past two seasons with veteran Amy Higginson supplying her with perfect sets. Higginson is now playing for Northwest Nazarene College in Nampa, Idaho, which means Hoffman is working with two new setters (Mandy Clewett and Brittany Weiand).
"It's always hard getting used to a new setter. You have to adjust," Hoffman said. "We're doing better clicking. With Amy, she was just so consistent. You always knew what to expect. We have good setters now, too, we just have to work with each other more."
There will be more adjustments ahead for Hoffman as she moves on to the next level in college. She has no idea where she'll end up, but wants to pursue a career as a dental hygienist when she gets there.
And if that doesn't work out, she can always pick up a pool cue.
"That's more for fun than skill," Hoffman said. "I like shooting pool, but I love playing volleyball. You can even make money playing beach volleyball, so who knows. I want to keep playing as long as I can. It's a huge part of my life."
Rick S. Alvord is sports editor of The Daily News. He can be reached at ralvord@tdn.com or 577-2527.
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