Nigh unstoppable
has only missed a couple of matches despite throwing her body all over the court, and that was because she collided with a teammate, not an inanimate object.
Baca’s ability to handle opposing teams’ hits and serves were a key reason Capital came into this season as a district contender with fringe state-title hopes. It’s a far cry from where she and the Lady Jaguars when she started playing at Capital as an eighthgrader, when the varsity program went 2-16 in 2013 and had lost 36 of its last 38 matches.
Much of that is a credit to Baca’s development, as well as the work Vargas and his coaching staff put in to turn Capital into a respected program. The skills Baca displays now were evident four years ago, and it led Vargas to make her a libero as a freshman.
“A libero has to be almost the fastest girl on the court,” Vargas said. “She was the fastest girl I’ve ever seen and her ball control was just amazing. And her hustle. She does not give up on anything. That was the whole part of making her my libero.”
Add to that an overwhelming desire to succeed, which was clear even when Baca was just a freshman.
“I always wanted to be the libero,” Baca said. “I don’t know why I wanted to do that. I just felt like I have to run the team. If there is not a pass, then there’s not going to be a good set and there’s not going to be a good hit. So if I can’t communicate with my teammates with what we need to do, there can’t be an offense.
“I feel like I wanted to be the one who makes a difference.”
It’s been a big difference for the Lady Jaguars. Baca is the anchor to a defense that opposing coaches laud for its ability to induce frustration on their players because the Lady Jaguars pick up so many hits and force them to work extra hard to score points. It led to club teams — specifically the Albuquerque Rebels Volleyball Club — offering Baca a chance to try out for its elite level squad.
Baca competed against players from Albuquerque, Santa Fe, Los Alamos and Española for a spot.
“I was really surprised [about the invitation],” Baca said, “but I’m so competitive that I told my mom, ‘If I don’t make the national-one team, then I’m not going to spend so much money on playing for the second team.’ When I made it, I was speechless. I don’t know why they chose me.” Vargas does. “She works hard for it,” Vargas said. “It’s funny, though. If you tell the girls to run, she’s first. If you tell the girls to do anything, she’s first. She just pushes herself.”
It’s why he named Baca one of the team captains even though the Lady Jaguars have six seniors. Her infectious desire rubs off on the rest of the team, although it has its drawbacks — especially this season.
The Lady Jaguars have struggled with their newfound status, having started 4-5 on the season. if anything, Vargas sees a team that is striving so hard for perfection, it hurts the Lady Jaguars at key points in a game.
“They try so hard not to make errors, and they make errors,” Vargas said. “We just need to go out there and be calm and just be positive and put that ball down. Don’t worry about hitting it long or hitting it into the net.”
Baca feels the pressure of wanting to win and she finds herself battling that competitive spirit when games go awry.
“It’s hard because we’ve never been a team to be able to finish,” Baca said. “Sometimes, we start slow and then we never finish. Sometimes, I want it so bad that I get really frustrated. But that’s my problem.”
It’s just that she sees a team full of potential and seniors, and Baca fears Capital will miss out on a wonderful opportunity — like making the state tournament. That already happened last year, when the Lady Jaguars went 14-8 but finished fourth in 2-5A, missing out on the postseason.
“Everybody is feeling that pressure,” Vargas said. “All I am telling them is to go one point at a time and to just keep pushing yourself in practice to get better. Take practice like it’s game day.”
Baca does, and it’s why she chases after every ball like there’s no tomorrow.