But junior transfer Alex Banister has become that as a serving and defensive specialist for the Baylor volleyball team.

"Alex has been a beautiful addition to the team," first-year coach Ryan McGuyre said. "She brings so much spark, some spunk, some energy, some personality. Really, (she brings) a lot of that feistiness that I think this team needed. She's in a tough role. She's . . . like a closer in baseball, comes in for one or two points at the end, but those are the most important points to close out those matches."

The 5-foot-3 Banister served up an ace in the fifth set of a 3-2 win at Dayton, closed out a 3-1 win over Cal Poly and also came in at the end of the pivotal third set in a 3-1 win over Rice.

"This is a rare and new position for me, and I'm taking it full speed ahead," she said. "I was a gymnast, so pressure doesn't faze me."

It's somehow fitting that Banister is filling the "closer" role for the Bears. Her dad, Jeff Banister, is in his first year as manager of the first-place Texas Rangers after spending 20 years as a coach in the Pittsburgh Pirates' organization.

"It was definitely a God thing," said Alex, a League City, Texas, native who played the previous two seasons at Hill College in Hillsboro. "We were actually planning on moving to Pittsburgh in the offseason. It was totally crazy. . . .When he got the job, it was amazing, because my brother is at that stage where he really needs his dad. He's going through that middle-school awkward stage, so it's awesome."

The short 90-minute drive from Arlington also gives Jeff a chance to make pop-in visits with his daughter, as he did two weeks ago when he watched Alex and the Bears beat UNC-Greensboro, 3-0, in the middle game of the Baylor Classic.

"It's incredible," said Jeff, who has two Baylor volleyball posters adorning his office walls at the Rangers' Globe Life Park. "I'm more nervous sitting here in the seat watching these girls play and seeing Alex play. . . . I'm truly blessed, really, more than words can say, to be this close, essentially right here in our back yard. To be able to drive down on a day when we have a night game and I've got to go to work, it's a joy. I love watching not just her, but I love to watch the competition."

Alex spots her dad in the stands and notices him "fidgeting and getting excited."

"He's so Mr. Nonchalant in baseball . . . unless you mess with him. Then, he's going to get you," she said.

That actually happened the night before in the Rangers' game against the Seattle Mariners, when the skipper got ejected in the second inning when he went out to argue a questionable ruling on a ball that appeared to be foul.

"My dad is very passionate about what he does," Alex said. "I'm like, `Oh, that poor ump!' When he gets that finger (going) and then that vein pops out, I'm like, `Oh, you're really in trouble now. You better run.'''

Asked if she's ever caught her dad's wrath, Alex said, "I've seen the vein once. I was like, `Yes sir, yes sir.' I don't want to see that again."

A four-year letterwinner at Clear Springs High School, Banister played two seasons at Hill College, helping the Rebels win a conference title and reach the NJCAA national tournament for the first time in 12 years. As a freshman, she played for current Baylor assistant coach Sam Erger.

"My freshman year, I loved her," Alex said of Erger. "She was an awesome coach, she's still an awesome coach."

Other than the connection with Erger, Banister said she was looking for a Christian-based atmosphere at a smaller school. "And then Ryan and the coaching staff, they were amazing. They blew me over when I came on my visit."

DID YOU KNOW?

Alex Banister, a communications major, aspires to be an ESPN reporter one day and maybe get a chance to interview her dad. But if she sees the vein, "I'll run."

What McGuyre likes about Alex is that "there's nothing wimpy about her."

"It's contagious, and our girls need to see that sometimes," McGuyre said. "She's the one who's making a lot of mistakes and I can beat up, so to speak, and self-correct. Whether it's hitting a ball or making her dive for a ball, she doesn't hesitate and goes all out for it. The other girls see that and go, `Ooh, I'd better go hard, too.' It's great to have her leadership here."

That's a philosophy Alex got from her dad.

"He told me that a mistake is not a mistake, it's a learning opportunity," she said. "So, I really take it to my game. If I do make a mistake, how do I fix it? I'm not scared to make it, because if I don't ever make it, it's like I don't know how to fix it. Mistakes are good, in a way, when it comes to sports."

"We still have a long, long way to go," McGuyre said. "Who we will be in December, I'm excited about reaching that point. But we want to put ourselves in a position where it's going to be meaningful."

*Family photos courtesy of Alex Banister