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ONE OF A KIND: Kempner's Ochelli A Blossoming Star
NOT ONLY WAS RUTH OCHELLI ONE OF EIGHT FRESHMEN PLAYING VARSITY VOLLEYBALL IN FORT BEND ISD LAST SEASON, BUT SHE WAS ALSO THE ONLY ONE TO BE NAMED TO AN ALL-DISTRICT FIRST OR SECOND TEAM.
Not too bad for a 15-year-old who only started playing the game three years ago.
Ochelli, Kempner’s 5-foot-11 sophomore outside hitter, compiled 186 kills, 84 digs, 55 aces and 29 blocks for the 20-18 Cougars last year and was named to District 24-5A’s second team.
Oh, and she did all that while playing a new position.
“It was nerve-wracking at first. I’d never played outside (hitter) before, so playing that really helped me with my passing and defense,” said Ochelli, who played middle blocker in junior high. “I was able to be more of a versatile player, and I was able to take that and use it for club (season). In club, I played middle, I played right, I played outside. Now I can play anywhere in the front row.”
Now Ochelli is a blossoming prospect in the Class of 2025. She helped her Houston Skyline 15 black club team—one of Skyline’s two top national teams—to the USA Volleyball Junior Nationals in Indianapolis in July.
Rachel Kessler, then Kempner’s head volleyball coach, now coaching her alma mater at Fort Bend Travis, was drawn to Ochelli’s coachability as an incoming freshman.
Ochelli learned and she adapted, early and often, without complaint.
“Ruth doesn’t understand how good she really is,” Kessler said after 11 games last season. “I love that about her. She has a lot of confidence, but she’s not overconfident. She knows she has a lot to learn, to build. She’s got a lot of potential and room for growth.”
Though a relative newcomer to the sport, Ochelli has never lacked faith in her abilities. As an eighth grader, she remembers going up to Kessler and asking when varsity tryouts would be.
Ochelli always wanted to play varsity as a freshman. She knew she had what it took. She is a natural athlete and showed advanced hitting skills for her age the moment she picked up a volleyball.
“It shows that even though I’d never played the position coach wanted me at, she saw enough potential in me to do it,” Ochelli said of making varsity as a freshman. “I think it shows my work ethic.”
Ochelli said she is grateful for Kessler, who became more than just a coach. She is a trusted friend.
“She was always there for me, always there to give me advice about club or school,” Ochelli said. “I knew I could come to her about anything, even if it wasn’t about volleyball. Even though she’s at another school, I still feel I can reach out to her today.”
Ochelli said her offense is what improved the most throughout last season, specifically hitting and shot selection. She expects her serve-receive to be better this year after working hard this summer to be more accurate with her passes.
“We lost a lot of seniors that had a really good impact on our team,” Ochelli said. “I just want us to make the playoffs. I think we have a really good shot if we play together and as a team.”
EAGER TO LEARN: Kempner's Sharer Hungry to Get Better and Better
SAMANTHA SHARER WANTS TO LEARN. SHE NEEDS IT.
Take the club volleyball tournament Sharer had in Orlando this summer, for instance. The Kempner junior outside hitter didn't just use Florida as a getaway vacation.
She watched, observed, played and came away smarter and better on the court, learning the importance of moving on to the next play and sustaining a positive attitude through mistakes.
"Each year I go to that tournament, I take away so much information that I wish I had more tournaments after that so I could immediately apply that back into my game," she said.
Sharer started playing volleyball in the fourth grade. She noticed the better she played, the more fun the game was.
She became a student of the game, hungry to take in any coaching. Sharer said her best traits are court awareness
and consistency, two strengths that would put a smile on any coach's face.
In her first year on varsity last year, Sharer totaled 103 kills, 80 digs and 36 aces in 68 sets. She was named an honorable mention all- district selection. This year, Sharer has 167 kills, 261 digs and 46 aces in 87 sets so far.
Sharer talked more with VYPE.
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VYPE: What did you take away from your first year on varsity?
SHARER: I learned volleyball is definitely a mental sport. You have to keep the right mindset throughout the game to play well and be successful. There are no "free" points. You have to work for every ball and give all your effort to better the ball.
VYPE: Kempner has a new coach. What are your impressions of Coach (Rachel) Kessler?
SHARER: I like that Coach Kessler came into the program setting expectations for our team and how we can achieve them. She made us realize that she has a fun side, but there is a lot of hard work she expects from us. From the beginning, she started building relationships and focusing on growing and improving our program.
VYPE: What are your expectations for yourself and your team this season?
SHARER: Improve every day. After every game or practice, figuring out what I can work on at our next practice and what I can do on my own to continue improving. My expectations for my team are high. I think, win or lose, we are going to do what we can to improve on that game to make the next even better. Last year, we were so close to making it to playoffs, and this year that is going to be a big goal for our team.
This story appeared in the Inaugural VYPE Fort Bend ISD Fall Edition, which is now available to pick up at your local Fort Bend ISD High Schools.