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tion, a willingness to learn, a never-say-die attitude - the list goes on. Those are qualities it takes to be a true athlete, a true competitor, in the eyes of coaches and teammates. And Sarah Butler Carthel had it all. At the time, freshmen could not be placed on the junior varsity team but had to remain on the freshman team. Carthel was a freshman at Amarillo High, itching to prove herself. The then and current varsity head coach, Jan Barker, said she realized Carthel was "too much" for even the JV team, and when playoffs came around, snatched her up and placed her on the varsity bench. Sophomore year was Carthel's first official year on the varsity, and no one had any idea what she would bring to that team. "Most people around here had never seen a high school girl who could play like Sarah," Barker explained. "She was pretty much unstoppable and was wowing college coaches by that time." Carthel's exceptional volleyball skills assisted in her team landing a state title her junior year after an undefeated season. By the time her senior year came around, she was thirsty for more. Having a taste of the title once, she knew what she was after. She and her teammates stood at a 70-0 win-loss record just before regionals. It was widely speculated by their competitors and the media that the team could not be stopped, but then Carthel had to have arthroscopic knee surgery a mere three weeks before the regional tournament. "She insisted on playing - as a true competitor would - and with her help, we almost pulled it out," Barker said of their regional loss. Despite the defeat, Carthel's career rocketed. Mick Haley, current head women's volleyball coach at the University of Southern California, began following Carthel when she was a sophomore. "I had to do some fast talking," Haley said of the recruiting process with Carthel. At that point Haley was the coach at the University of Texas, but he remembers that Carthel didn't think she wanted to move away from Amarillo. That was part of why Haley so intently recruited Carthel. He liked her deep values and golden core. "She has great West Texas values, and is true to her soul as a person," Haley said. "I just have always admired this kid. She would never take advantage of anyone or put them down." In addition to her personality, it was a given that Haley saw her talent. According to Haley, Carthel made everyone she played with better and brought a spark with her every time her feet hit the court. That was obvious to others as well, and Carthel was chosen as the Big 12 freshman of the Year during her season at UT. "She's undoubtedly a leader," Haley said of his time coaching Carthel. "Just her fighting spirit, her heart and tenacity to compete and the good person she is. She makes it fun to be on a team with her." His time with her was cut short, however, when he left UT for another coaching position. "My biggest regret leaving Texas was that I didn't get to coach Sarah for three more years," Haley said. "I always liked that kid and thought she was special." Apparently, Carthel's fondness for Haley was right along those lines as well. "Mick Haley left, and I just didn't think the program was going to be the same," she explained of her choice to come back to Amarillo and play for West Texas A&M University in Canyon. "I didn't feel that I could play against my teammates in the Big 12, so West Texas was my next choice." During her time at WT, Carthel played for Debbie Hendricks in 1997 and 1998, and during her senior year, she played for Tony Graystone. The respect and appreciation she received from Haley was echoed by Scott Sandel, then an assistant coach at WT. "I have a special place in my heart for Sarah," Sandel said. "She was one of the best competitors I have ever coached, and she had the ability to play at a very high level. I'm fortunate that we walked the same volleyball path for three years." During her time at WT, Carthel was a three-time, first team All-American, a two-time GTE Academic All-American, a two-time National Player of the Year, a Honda Award Nominee for best NCAA Division II Athlete and finally, the 2000 Silver Buffalo Award winner. Although she had graduated, Carthel's passion for the game did not dwindle. After a one-year coaching job at Metropolitan State College in Denver, she had the opportunity to train in Colorado Springs with theU.S. national team, Carthel said, "I can honestly say that I would still be doing that if I could. We practiced eight hours every day, and I loved it. I was like a sponge soaking every new technique and skill I could." In addition to the training she received from Toshi Yoshida, head coach of the national team at the time, Carthel said the friendships she established while there always will stick with her. "Something about working that hard every day forces you to have deeper friendships with the teammates who are going through the same stuff," she said. "We relied on each other a lot, and I cherish the friendships I made." While there, her team won the gold medal in the Grand Prix Championship in 2000. "It's kind of like the World Cup in soccer," she explained. "It is the Olympics, just not in an Olympic year." For that tournament, she had a chance to spend an entire month overseas. "We spent one week in Thailand, one week in Taiwan, one week in Harbin, China, and then one week in Maco, China," she said. Of all her favorite volleyball memories, the Grand Prix win makes her top list. "After we won the gold medal match, we all lined up and got to step up on the gold medal stand to receive our medals," Carthel said. "That is something I will never forget. Being in our USA warmups, lined up perfectly, getting a gold medal draped around your neck and then getting to sing your national anthem while wearing the red, white, and blue - that is a memory I'm very lucky to have." After her stint on the national team, Carthel played professionally. "Puerto Rico was an experience," she said. "You are definitely on your own when you decide to play overseas. Nobody is looking out for you but yourself." Despite being on her own, Carthel said, she loved her time there. "It was a beautiful place filled with beautiful people," she said. "You can't get any better than getting paid to play volleyball and live on the beach." Her experience as a player is over, but her heart for volleyball remains very much a part of her everyday life. Carthel is an assistant coach at WT, living back in Amarillo, and she plans to someday hold a head coaching position. "There was never a doubt in my mind," Carthel said about wanting to coach. In addition to handing down everything she learned in her own volleyball experiences, she said her favorite part of coaching is the relationships she establishes with her players. "I enjoy helping each athlete to become confident in themselves so they will be successful in anything they decide to pursue in life," she said. Haley said every player who has the opportunity to play for Carthel is a lucky one, and every school she decides to coach for is a lucky one as well. "Can you find a finer person to model yourself after and to lead you through an experience?" Haley asked rhetorically. "Sarah has this love for the game, and she loves to give it to other people. When you're looking for a coach, what more can you want?"

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