VYPE Fort Bend ISD August 2022

A R I S S A SM I T H D O E S I T A L L F O R R I D G E P O I N T U N I C O R N

\\ By De n n i s S i l v a I I

her shoulders, and that ’ll tell you where she’s going,” Smith said. “Now I won’ t be guessing all the time.” As if one of the top talents in the Greater Houston area needed any more of an edge for a senior season with great expectations. “I want us to go all out every game as if it ’s our last ,” Smith said. “Because once playoffs come, I want to get back to State and I want to win this time.”

blocks, sets, digs and serves,” said Smith, who had surgery in May. “Putting all that pressure on my finger was hard. I was in a lot of pain. But it was worth it .” Smith only played in those two tournaments this spring and summer. Otherwise, she watched and learned from the sidelines. One of the biggest things she picked up on was watching a setter ’s hands as a blocker. “Watch her hands and

because of how smoothly the ball seemed to jump out of their hands. Smith practiced with Clear Springs setter Morgen Durgens, her best friend. Eventually, she became just as skilled at setting and running out-of-system offense as blocking. Last season, Smith totaled 187 kills, 88 digs, 85 blocks and 11 assists to go with a 45.9 kill percentage for the State Semifinalist Panthers. “I can bring more than one aspect to the table,” Smith said. Smith was destined to be a stud athlete. Both of her parents, Wade and Chareta Smith, played collegiately at the University of Memphis. Smith missed a good chunk of the offseason and summer with a ruptured pinky finger. She briefly returned to the court to play in a Nationals qualifier in Chicago for her Houston Juniors 17 elite team. Smith helped the club to a third-place finish and an open bid for July’s Nationals in Indianapolis, where she played with a splint on her pinky. Returning from injury to help her team is something Smith is proud of. Something she said she won’ t forget anytime soon. “A lot of people don’ t realize how significant your hand is to being a middle, and I’m a middle that hits, Wade, who also played professionally, played football. Chareta played basketball.

RIDGE POINT SENIOR MIDDLE BLOCKER ARISSA SMITH IS A LITTLE BIT OF EVERYTHING BECAUSE SHE DOES A LOT OF EVERYTHING. “She’s a unicorn,” coach Lauryn Bailey said. “She can serve and then run up and play defense. That girl has better hands than some actual setters. She never gets flustered. She’s calm and collected, on top of being just a beast at volleyball.” Bailey will never forget last year ’s Regional Semifinal win against Pearland Dawson. Smith’s serving and defense ignited a come-from-behind 26-24 win in a decisive fourth set the Panthers had trailed, 24-19. “She served the entire comeback , played defense and had about four or five dumps,” Bailey said. “She was just amazing.” The 6-foot-1 Mississippi State-commit has always been a volleyball fiend. Smith gave up on basketball because it was not interesting. She enjoyed volleyball because of all of its nuances; defense, to her, being the most intriguing. “I’m a serving middle, so I play defense in the front row and the back row, and back row defense is so interesting,” Smith said. “The ball comes at you and you have to be ready. There’s a lot of preparation that goes into it .” Smith has always been a gifted blocker in the middle. She is tall , smart and athletic. But around 14 years old, she started studying setters