Colusa spiker breaking barriers

You can't help but notice Magaly Acevedo's smile.

It's present when she finishes a good set to one of her teammates on the Colusa High volleyball team. It's there as she and her fellow Redskins joke while running laps around the gym after displeasing their head coach.

But of all the times the affable 17-year-old displays traits of happiness, some of her widest smiles come from just understanding the basic elements of something her teammates have known for years — English.

All it takes is a word like "setter" and her face lights up with excitement. It's not only a sign of her progress in learning a language she didn't speak a word of when she first arrived in the Mid-Valley last year, but also progress in a position that she's nearly mastered during her first season with the team.

Acevedo's not afraid to put her face to the pine to dive for a ball. Her serves stealthily clear the net before dropping off like the first dip of a roller coaster. Both qualities of her game propelled her to finish second in the Sacramento Valley League in assists and aces per match.

More importantly, it established her as the centerpiece of the Redskins. Not only because of her role as setter — the point guard of volleyball — but because she displays an attitude and willingness necessary to help carry her team through a rough transition year. This season, the Redskins finished the regular season 9-10 and finished third with a 5-5 record in the SVL.

"She's so energetic, and she's saved us so many times because she moves so fast," said Colusa coach Toni Ann Apaseo, who has relied on Acevedo's strong play after losing several of her senior leaders following the '07 season. "It's how hard she works for this game. When a lot of my players give up, she works harder."

For Acevedo, it's about playing a sport she loves, regardless of the cultural, social and language barriers that she has endured in her transition from playing volleyball at school CBT 15 317 in Guanajuato, Mexico to suiting up for the Redskins.

Some barriers still remain, namely her command of English. She still uses the bilingual ability of teammates Ericka Avina and Viri Ferreria to help her understand their coach and to have long conversations in fluent English.

It was something that Apaseo didn't immediately realize about her player until two games into the season when she tried to go into the particulars of her position with Acevedo.

"I didn't realize it until when I was talking to her about setting and she had this blank face," Apaseo said.

But other barriers have started to crumble. She enjoys listening to the Black Eyed Peas. Her favorite class is U.S. history - taught in English. And while the concepts of "futbol Americano" are unknown to the soccer-loving Acevedo, she still cheers wildly for her fellow student-athletes on Friday nights.

All are signs of progress that have been fueled by Acevedo's outgoing personality, a trait which has made her a favorite among her teammates, Apaseo and her teachers.

"She's a really social individual. She has a magnetic personality," said Billy Guild, coordinator for the English learner's program at Colusa High. "Being on the team has gotten her to know more people and spread her charm around."

That charm has molded the Redskins into a more cohesive unit.

"Someone like Magaly keeps everyone together," teammate Kayla Cunha said. "She's not with this clique or that clique."

Which is exactly why Guild — who is Acevedo's teacher for three periods — encouraged her to join the team and helped remind her of when to tryout.

"She said, 'I'm really good, I want to play volleyball,'" Guild said of Acevedo, who played for six years in Mexico. "When sign-ups came around, I kept making sure it happened."

When the Redskins began practice prior to the start of the season, Acevedo had a proposition for Cunha and fellow teammate Katelyn Mena.

"I said, 'you're going to teach me English, I'll teach you Spanish,'" Acevedo said through Avina.

Throughout the season, that proposition has blossomed into quite a friendship. Acevedo helps Cunha with her Spanish 1 homework, and in turn, Cunha and Mena help Acevedo not only understand English, but also help her steer clear of an issue that could easily afflict any girl at a new high school —≠drama.

"We tell her to stay away from boyfriends and cliques," Mena said. "We keep her away from bad influences."

The No. 11 Redskins will visit No. 6 East Nicolaus on Thursday in the Northern Section Divsion V playoffs.

Contact sports reporter Ryan Klocke at rklocke@appealdemocrat.com or at 743-0512.