Pena consistent in win for Coronado against Eastwood
Nadia Pena does a little bit of everything for the Coronado volleyball team and all of those little things makes her a big time player for the Thunderbirds.
On Tuesday night in a battle of District 1-6A title contenders, Pena and her Coronado teammates controlled the action and defeated the Troopers 25-20, 25-13, 25-16 in large part due to Pena's play.
Pena had 11 kills, 26 assists, 13 digs, two blocks and a service ace. Her ability to set and hit makes her an offensive threat at all times on the court and she was part of a strong offensive effort that included 11 kills from Alina Strickler, 13 kills from Ashlee Macias and five kills from Gessell Martinez.
"I've been playing volleyball a long time but until the past year or so I wasn't a setter and I feel comfortable now, but it really took a lot of work and it's paying off," said Pena, who transferred to Coronado from Franklin. "I love both hitting and setting and I'm fortunate to have a lot of great teammates and coaches here at Coronado. They have all helped me feel comfortable and get better."
Pena comes from a sports family and credits her father, Alex Pena, as being a guiding force in her career. Alex was a standout baseball player at Irvin High School, at New Mexico Junior College and played professionally with the Baltimore Orioles and Arizona Diamondbacks organizations.
"My dad has been so helpful in helping me grow as an athlete and trying to be the best I can be every day," Pena said. "He's always supportive of me and he's always pushed me to be the best I can be."
Coronado volleyball coach Raul Lawrence has coached Pena since she enrolled at the school in January and said on Tuesday Pena has been a huge plus to the team.
"Nadia is really talented and has worked hard," said Lawrence, whose team is 3-1 in district play after Tuesday's win. "Being able to set and play on the outside as a hitter has made her such a great all-around player and she's doing some great things. Nadia has had some really big matches for us this season."
And college coaches have taken notice. She has verbally committed to play for Texas A&M Kingsville, coached by former New Mexico State player Tanya Allen-Gonzalez.
"I really like the school and the staff. I'll be close to family there and I'm just excited for the future after I graduate from high school," Pena said.
Tuesday's other top performers
Americas' Isabella Nunez had 11 kills, eight digs and 19 assists in win vs. Pebble Hills.
Americas' Lexee Salas had 9 kills, 22 assists and 14 digs in win against Pebble Hills.
Austin High's Kay Hopkins had 14 assists, 16 digs, six kills and an ace in win against Mountain View.
Ysleta's Mia Espinoza had 24 assists, 9 digs, 6 kills in win against Andress.
Hanks' Alexa Heck had 20 kills and 18 digs in win against Canutillo.
Del Valle's Karime Alvarez had 30 assists, 3 aces, 26 digs and 4 kills in win against Burges.
El Paso High's Hannah Garcia had 36 assists, 8 digs, 5 kills in win against Parkland.
Burges' Anabelle Martinez had 22 kills, 9 assists and 9 digs in loss to Del Valle.
More: El Paso HS sports results El Paso high school results for volleyball, football, cross country, tennis
Felix F. Chavez can be reached at fchavez@elpasotimes.com; @Fchavezeptimes on Twitter
This article originally appeared on El Paso Times: Coronado's Nadia Pena helps lift team to success in District 1-6A
