Sutherland digs in as UC Irvine libero

A volleyball defender’s greatest asset can be balance: the ability to position oneself in an active state of neutrality, ready to pounce in either direction according to the whims of a well-place spike or, just as often, an unanticipated deflection off a blocker or a fellow passer.

For UC Irvine senior libero Devon Sutherland, however, the balancing act often extends to the consistent challenge of finding even footing between the chip on one shoulder and the perceived weight of the world on the other.

A 5-foot-6 senior at Santiago High in Corona, Sutherland was forced to cash in a decade of success as a club and high school setter, for a future at an upper-echelon Division I college program.

Division I coaches typically favor setters who can rise well above the net as blockers, and Sutherland, raised in a household she described as “volleyballed out,” knew full well that her role with the Anteaters would be more closely linked to the floor.

But having always been a classic undersized overachiever, she possessed the athleticism and competitive edge to dive head-long, in whatever direction was necessary, into any challenge that volleyball brought her way.

“I’ve always been small,” said Sutherland, UCI’s career digs leader (1,708), whose 4.19 digs per game this year now rank third among Big West Conference players after leading the conference for most of the season. “But I kind of like that, too. It kind of brings out a much more competitive side and it feels like you kind of have a chip on your shoulder. It’s like I’ve always had something to prove to everybody.”

Never was that more so than when she entered UCI, playing her freshman season as a defensive specialist, then becoming a libero before her sophomore campaign.

“It was definitely hard for me,” said Sutherland, who has helped put the Anteaters (15-12, 10-4 in the Big West) in position to clinch second place, and a possible NCAA Tournament at-large berth, with a pair of home wins tonight and Saturday against UC Santa Barbara and Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, respectively.

“When I started playing libero, I was kind of a wreck, both with the physical play and the mental side of it,” she said. “But I wanted to prove that even though I did set my whole prep career to that point, I could come here and still try to be the best libero I could for my team. I’m naturally competitive, anyway, but making the transition from setter to libero helped develop that fire inside of me even more.”

But suddenly, the self-assuredness amassed from triggering successful teams — such as the 16-and-under Open champions of the 2003 Junior Olympics, three national Amateur Athletic Union age-group champions in beach volleyball (she was named 2003 AAU Beach Volleyball Player of the Year), and four indoor high school league crowns as the varsity setter — began working against her as she struggled to master new skills.

“I think the reason you have a libero is for serve-receive passing,” Sutherland said. “As a setter, that’s something I’d never done [indoors]. And, passing the ball on the beach is much different. I was kind of nervous about making the transition. My sophomore year, I never really felt all that confident in myself.”

Sutherland’s desire to perform created increased anxiety when things weren’t going as planned.

“I can be very hard on myself,” she said, an assessment verified by UCI Coach Charlie Brande.

“Devon is a very sensitive, caring person,” Brande said. “She is someone I’ve learned I need to put my arm around every day and ask ‘How are we doing today?.’ There are some practices when I’ll see her down and I’ll ask her ‘What’s wrong?’ She’d say ‘I just lost this game or drill,’ because we make everything in our practices competitive.”

Said Sutherland, “Playing libero is such a mind-set that if you are even slightly distracted or thinking about something else, you can maybe just crumble. Sometimes its hard to control that mind-set, especially when you’re not playing as well as you should be. But you’ve just got to power through and try to focus on the positive things that help build your confidence.”

Sutherland said she often conjures memories of important victories during her career to instill confidence. And, she always falls back on one of the first lessons taught to her by her mother, Robin, who played at UC Santa Barbara, then professionally with the coed International Volleyball Assn. in the 1970s, and her dad, Phil, who founded and still coaches the Mavericks club program based in Corona.

“They told me, when you walk into the gym, no matter what kind of player you think you are, you always have to assume that you’re the best player in the gym,” said Sutherland, whose older brother, Tanner, played at Pepperdine, “especially the best player at your position. As a libero, I try to tell myself I’m going to dig everything that comes my way, I’m going to pass nails and I’m going to keep [the opponent] on their toes with my serving. But, at the same time, I don’t think I am the best player. You just have to get over that [doubt].”

Eventually, Sutherland’s athleticism and drive helped her settle in during her junior season. Brande said she has maintained a consistently high level of play this fall.

“When a libero is doing their job, you never notice them,” Brande said. “And you don’t notice Devon very often. What I notice in practice is, whatever side of the net she’s on, the ball just doesn’t hit the ground. Her dig totals have begun to decrease late in the season because teams have stopped hitting balls at her.”

Said Sutherland, “the last half of my junior year is when it really kind of kicked in. I would say I’ve been confident in myself this season, but more so the last half.”

Brande believes serving is another noticeably outstanding aspect of her game. Her 21 aces rank No. 2 on the team.

“She has a good jump serve and she can stand and float serve on a dime, short or long,” Brande said.

Sutherland said she hopes to lengthen her volleyball career, first by helping UCI earn its their first NCAA berth since 2004, then making a mark on the Assn. of Volleyball Professionals beach tour.

BARRY FAULKNER may be reached at (714) 966-4615 or at [email protected].