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Weaver Won't Give In

Photo by STEPHEN LINDLEY

Ex-Central High standout Nikki Weaver has played back row for the past two seasons for the NAIA Lady Vikings of Berry College in Mount Berry, Ga.

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By CHRIS BERNHARDT JR.

Hernando Today

Published: August 24, 2008

Updated:

At first, Nikki Weaver admitted she was in denial about the deteriorating condition of her knee. She continued to play volleyball, continued to block out the pain, until she could barely walk.

Finally in May 2007, the Central High graduate had surgery to repair a torn meniscus, and then only a few months later went through her sophomore season at Berry College in Mount Berry, Ga.

"I made it a point in my brain not to let myself hold back and play hard," Weaver said.

She played so hard she ended up back on crutches by the end of the season. She said she's "pretty much 100 percent" though she still feels some manageable pain and needs to take preventative measures.

But as the 20-year-old from Brooksville readies for her junior campaign, she feels ready for her best season yet playing as a defensive specialist for the NAIA Lady Vikings, coming off a 19-16 campaign.

"This season should hopefully be even better than the last two," Weaver said. "We've got a new coach, that's really energizing for all the girls on the team. Everybody has made a big step in their ability to get to balls and they're better on the court, better prepared mentally.

"We've got some really good new talent. That will definitely be a big factor, too."

Accepting her role

Weaver graduated from Central in 2006, having spent three years on the varsity club and leading the Lady Bears through one of the most successful runs in program history.

The daughter of Central Head Coach Vicki Weaver played bigger than her 5-foot-7 frame, dominating at the net. She set a school record of 252 kills as a senior.

However, signing with Berry meant a switch to the back row, and passing rather than hitting.

"It wasn't that big of a transition," Weaver said. "In high school I played all over the court. I was used to being in the back row.

"I concentrate on passing. That's my job. I've accepted that as my role on the team. If I don't do my job, nobody else gets their job done."

In 111 games as a freshman, she recorded 273 digs. She posted 260 kills in 117 games as a sophomore.

Despite her injury, she appeared in all 35 matches last year, saying she only felt slightly limited.

"If I hit it wrong I wasn't able to get up as fast as I would normally," Weaver said. "Other than that I wasn't holding back at all.

"It was pretty much all mental. I really struggled at the beginning with the mental part because I wanted to come back 100 percent."

Now she hopes to improve upon her overall game while helping the Lady Vikings this season.

"Individually I really want to be very, very consistent with everything I do," Weaver said. "I want to be very disciplined."

Air Force in future

With two more years left at Berry, Weaver has begun to think heavily about her future. She's majoring in environmental science with a focus on geology and a minor in biology.

A former ROTC officer at Central, Weaver plans on going into the Air Force following her graduation in May 2010. She would like to go into bioengineering.

"It seems like a very good fit for me," Weaver said. "I think it's something I'd be very good at. It has something no other job can give you.

"It's a very regimen, disciplined schedule. You know what's expected of you. I really like that."

But in the meantime she will finish out what has thus far been a positive experience at Berry.

"I couldn't ask to be at a better place," Weaver said. "The school fits me perfectly for what I want to accomplish. I couldn't ask to be on a team with a better group of girls."

BY THE NUMBERS: NIKKI WEAVER
Year        Games    Digs
2006        111          273
2007        117          260
TOTAL  228          533

Sports writer Chris Bernhardt Jr. can be reached at (352) 544-5288 or cbernhardt@hernandotoday.com.

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