THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, October 16, 1994 TAG: 9410140191
SECTION: CAROLINA COAST PAGE: 31 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Sports
SOURCE: BY JEFF ZEIGLER, CORRESPONDENT
DATELINE: MANTEO LENGTH: Medium: 72 lines
THE MANTEO HIGH School volleyball team has had a unique season. The Lady Redskins have not only won the regular season championship and tournament championship of the Northeastern Conference, but they finished the regular season at 22-0.
At the forefront of this championship team is a 5-foot-11-inch, junior, spike-blasting, ambidextrious young lady who many feel is the most dominant player in the Albemarle region.
She's Heather Daniels, and don't get in the way of her spike.
Up to now, Daniels was best known for her prowess on the basketball court. She started at center for the Lady Redskins last season. This year, she is turning heads on the volleyball court as Manteo has pounded its competition into submission.
``I think she is the most dominant player in the area,'' said Manteo head coach Bennie O'Neal. ``She is a good hitter. She also serves well. She's real consistent.''
Daniels, who listens to the heavy metal group Helmut to get psyched up for games, has started on the Manteo volleyball team since her freshman year. O'Neal said she is a leader, not by words, but by her ability on the court.
``Her leadership comes from her ability. She's not much of an outgoing person,'' he said. ``She wants to win. She's been to a lot of camps and she'll do whatever it takes to improve her game. She listens well and does what you ask her.''
Daniels is a good player in all aspects of the game. She sets and serves well, but what has put her ahead of most other players is her ability to spike. Other teams watch in awe as she warms up. One of her teammates sets her up and with a graceful jump and a grunt, she smacks the ball to the floor. On a good night, she rarely misses.
Plymouth got a dose of a unique aspect of her game when in the Lady Redskins' 15-2, 15-10 win, she spiked with both hands.
``I learned that at volleyball cmap when my right shoulder was hurt,'' she said. ``I had a shoulder injury, but had already paid my money for the camp. All I did at the camp was hit the ball against the wall with my left hand.''
``She'll use both hands. Most blockers set up to go with the right hand,'' O'Neal said.
Her mere presence on the court changes the other team's strategy.
Because Manteo's opponents know she can crush a winner at any time, she actually sets up her teammates for short tips because the defense is back on their heels waiting for a spike.
With Daniels, superstition goes along with skill.
On the night of the conference tournament, Manteo was not scheduled to play its first game until 5:45 p.m.
Thirty minutes before game time, Daniels appeared from the lockerroom to watch the end of another game. She bounced a volleyball as she studied the other teams.
``I'm very superstitious,'' she said. ``I try to do the same thing before every match.''
She also wears the same pair of sneakers for every game.
Whatever, the superstition - whether it's the music, the sneakers or the timing for her entrance onto the floor - it seems to have worked for 22 straight matches.
The Lady Redksins will try to keep their streak alive when they face the second seed from the Eastern Plains Conference in Manteo on October 19. ILLUSTRATION: Staff photo by DREW C. WILSON
Heather Daniels is the team's dominant player, says coach Bennie
O'Neal.
by CNB