Since joining the Cougars, freshman outside hitter Sarita Mikals has been named Conference Freshman of the Week twice. She also leads the team in kills, kills per set and points. | Justin Tijerina/The Daily Cougar
Every time Sarita Mikals steps on the volleyball court, she tries to prove that she is a force. Standing at 6-foot-1, the freshman outside hitter is making her presence known.
In her first season at UH, Mikals is showing her potential.
Mikals was named the American Conference Freshman of the Week on Monday for the second time this season after notching double-figure kills in all three matches last week.
Coming straight out of high school, Mikals has adjusted well to playing on a collegiate level. She leads the team in kills, kills per set and points and is second in digs.
“The biggest difference is the speed of the game,” Mikals said. “Everything is more zero-tempo, so you have to read the hitters quicker.”
During her senior year at Colleyville Heritage High School, Mikals helped the team obtain a 46-2 record, and in 2012 she was named District Hitter of the Year. She led her team to a district title, and they finished second in the regional quarterfinals of the playoffs.
Head coach Kaddie Platt said she knew early that Mikals was a special player.
“She’s competitive and wants to be part of a good team,” Platt said. “She jumped right in with everybody else on the team.”
To push herself to be the best player she can be, Mikals sets goals for herself. Just two weeks into the season, Mikals achieved one of her goals: She was named the American Athletic Conference Freshman of the week.
In a non-conference match against Prairie View, Mikals hit her 16th double-figure kill match of the season when she posted 10 kills.
Senior defensive specialist Meredith Ware said she knows Mikals is a valuable player.
“She is a very consistent player and (is) always just playing her hardest,” Ware said. “She also always carries out our game plans very well.”
Mikals is focused on the rest of the season and looks forward to adding to the team’s success.
