Edwardsville's Epenesa blends power, precision to reach elite status
Despite tons of potential, Sam Epenesa didn't take the volleyball court by storm early in her first season on the varsity at Edwardsville.
"She was on a learning curve her freshman year," Edwardsville coach Jami Parker said of Epenesa, who got a late start in the sport after first focusing on soccer and softball. "She played front row. She had a lot of power and strength."
Epenesa had so much zip on the ball, in fact, that a lot of her spikes ended up out of bounds -- if not in the bleachers.
"I was kind of a wild one, for sure," Epenesa recalled, with a laugh.
The accuracy came along later for Epenesa, which made for a lethal combination. She quickly became not only one of the top attackers in the area but one of the better all-around players, as well.
Over four years, Epenesa led the Tigers to three appearances in the elite eight and a third-place finish in 2010. Along the way, she became the most nationally recognized player in the program's history, according to Parker.
This fall, Epenesa capped an outstanding career with a season so impressive it has garnered her Post-Dispatch All-Metro player of the year honors.
"I think she's probably one of the most well-rounded volleyball players in the St. Louis area, as far as offensively and defensively," Parker said. "Her contributions to the team over four years have just been enormous."
During the 2011 season, Epenesa led the Tigers in kills (346) and aces (66) and was third in digs (249).
"This year I had a fairly solid year," Epenesa said. "You always think there are things you could have changed. Overall, I don't think I swung as much, but we also had a very (balanced) offense."
She leaves Edwardsville as the school's career kills leader (1,250) and is second on the list of career aces (184).
For her efforts this past fall, Epenesa was named to the Under Armour all-America second team for seniors. She was No. 33 on the 100 Senior Aces as picked by PrepVolleyball.com.
Epenesa caught the eye of Lafayette coach Steve Burkard, whose Lancers won the Missouri Class 4 title. Late in the season, Edwardsville beat Lafayette 25-23, 25-19 in the final of the Quincy Notre Dame Tournament.
Epenesa, who had a match-high 10 kills on 21 attempts, was a big reason why.
"She was unstoppable that day," Burkard said. "She's a fire that's hard to put out, I'll tell you that."
The game didn't come easily for Epenesa at first. She had to work at it. She struggled with leaping and making the spiking motion in sync until University of Oklahoma coach Santiago Restrepo helped her master that at a camp.
"I thought he was the coolest guy ever because he taught me how to jump and swing," Epenesa said of Restrepo.
She mastered that maneuver so well that she also became one of the better jump servers in the area, too.
"It's pretty nasty," Parker said of Epenesa's serve.
Epenesa bailed the Tigers out of numerous tight spots with her serve as well as other aspects of her game.
"Whenever things got tight, she was the go-to player on offense and defense," Parker said. "She's a phenomenal leader, too. The kids respect her and look to her for advice on the floor and off."
As good a player as Epenesa is, she might be an even better person. Parker relayed a story about Epenesa befriending a girl at school who was having trouble fitting in.
"She displays a character and maturity that is beyond her teenage years," Parker said. "She sees people and takes note of not only friends and popular classmates, but also those that need attention."
