A leader by example

MOSES LAKE – On the court this year for the Mavericks is a leader who leads her teammates not by raising her voice, but through the example she sets. Senior Jazlynn Torres has helped guide the Mavs to a successful season through her leadership-by-example approach, according to her coach and teammates.

“It’s been really exciting to see this new energy we all have and the connection we all have this year,” Torres said. “I just love this team.”

As a multi-sport athlete who also plays softball for the Mavericks, Torres has gained attention from teammates and coaches alike for her dedication both as an athlete and in the classroom.

“Working with Jaz for a number of years, she’s a quiet leader,” Moses Lake head coach Krystal Trammell said. “She excels in the classroom, she’s a multi-sport athlete. She embodies what Moses Lake High School wants.”

Torres said she began playing volleyball when she was around 10 years old for CB Elite, where Trammell was one of her coaches early on in her career.

“My parents introduced me to it like here’s an option you have,” Torres said. “I thought I’ll try it, and I ended up loving it.”

Now in her senior year, Torres was selected as a team captain by Trammell.

“Watching her for the three years, watching her in the classroom, watching her (in) softball, watching her this summer, they follow (her lead),” Trammell said. “She’s very silent when she does it, it’s by example, and everyone just follows suit.”

Her selection as captain initially brought nervousness, but Torres has grown into the role. She said that she works hard during practice drills and focuses on new things both during practices and in games.

“I was very nervous at first because I feel like I’m not as talkative as some of the girls, but I usually lead by example,” Torres said.

Trammell added that since she coached Torres at an early age she knew that she would develop into the leader she is today.

“I knew then, when she was like 10 or 11, that there was something special about her,” Trammell said. “Just her work ethic, her support system with mom and dad – absolutely amazing.”

Having known Torres since a young age garnered an emotional response from Trammell when she first stepped onto the court in a game for Moses Lake.

“Her freshman year, when she got in for the first time, I was a mess,” Trammell said. “I cried, I went over and just hugged her and said ‘I have been waiting for this day, and you’re going to be fantastic.’”

On the court, the five-foot-three libero can be seen being vocal with teammates and connecting on passes. With a sport like volleyball which is very dependent on being vocal as a team, Torres said part of what she brings to the court is keeping teammates in their positions as the match carries on.

“I just bring everybody back together when I can tell that everybody’s veering off into their own lane,” Torres said. “(In their own) heads and stuff, I try to get them back into the game.”

According to Trammell, another facet she brings to the Mavs is her ability to stay focused on the road ahead.

“She’s even, she’s solid,” Trammell said. “She reacts to just keeping that even tempo, it doesn’t matter if we’re in that valley or if we’re winning – she knows that end result, and she keeps that even pace to get there.”

Off the court, team bonding can go a long way toward success on the court. Torres said that one of her favorite memories in playing for Moses Lake has been team dinners, which are hosted at a player’s house the night before a home game.

“Team dinners are always nice,” Torres said. “Usually you sit around talking, sometimes about movies we watched and stuff. What’s been happening at practice? We sat around a campfire one time and we talked about scary movies, that was really fun.”

This being Trammell’s first year at the helm of Moses Lake volleyball, one of her goals has been to change the culture of the program.

“Just a change in mindset and our body language is what we worked on at first,” Torres said. “Last year we really struggled with the body language. We’ve been way better, at the beginning of the season we immediately saw a change…There’s probably only been one game where we were just really struggling, but besides that, we’ve been pretty good.”

Torres said that something that has always stood out to ger about the game is its fast-paced nature of it, not allowing players to dwell on mistakes for too long before the next rally.

“She’s just a bright light,” Trammell said. “As soon as she steps onto the court she’s all business, she’s fundamentally sound. Every time out she’s just better and better.”

Ian Bivona may be reached at ibivona@columbiabasinherald.com.