Junior Hula Crisostomo embodies what a coach needs at the libero position.
 
Especially a head coach like Ben Wallis who is in the midst of turning around a UTEP volleyball program that had finished in the bottom-third of Conference USA five of the last six years.
 
Crisostomo quickly became the Miners' fearless leader and level-headed voice of reason.
 
As a first-year player at the Division I level, Crisostomo said she did it by channeling her inner "beast."
 
"For as small as I am, I play with a big heart and a lot of passion," Crisostomo said. "The major role I have is being vocal leader."
 
Crisostomo's progression into the self-described "Beastly One" she is today began playing for one of Honolulu's top public schools. From there, Crisostomo led the country with 3115 digs at New Mexico Military Institute (NMMI) in the 2019-20 season. Now, she's playing a pivotal role in the ascending UTEP volleyball program.
 
Wallis – in year two of the UTEP volleyball renaissance – needed his first class of signees to not only perform at a high-level, but to shoulder the brunt of a culture shift.
 
Crisostomo naturally took charge, playing what Wallis termed as "relentless, determined and tenacious" volleyball.
 
"I've always kind of had this competitive beast inside of me," Crisostomo said. "Whenever it comes to game time or playing six-on-six in practice, I've always had this drive to be my best and beat the opponent on the other side of the net."
 
Unfortunately for Crisostomo, it was that same competitive beast that cut her junior season short. Crisostomo was UTEP's digs leader and ranked fourth in C-USA with 4.12 digs per set when, diving to keep a ball alive for a Miners point, she suffered a season-ending left knee injury at the end of the first set versus North Texas on March 1.
 
The Miners went on to defeat the Mean Green in Denton, Texas, for the first time since 1994, which Wallis said was a major turning point for his team this season.
 
The victory was bittersweet. Now, Wallis had to replace Crisostomo's defensive output and leadership presence.
 
Or so he thought.
 
Crisostomo can be seen on the sidelines during the upcoming Conference USA Tournament on April 1 undertaking her new role with the Miners as a defensive specialist/libero player-coach. It's an unpaid position for Crisostomo but her help in the six matches since her injury has paid dividends for Wallis and the UTEP defense and upholding the Miner morale.
 
In addition to completing the rehabilitation process with athletic trainer Mindy Hamilton, Crisostomo records reception data and coaches up her fellow defensive specialists and liberos freshmen Alyssa Sianez, Savana Trahan and Abigail Padilla, guiding them through scouting reports and serve-receive patterns.
 
"Now that I am not on the court, I can still support and give feedback to my teammates who need it on the court and help them execute it," Crisostomo said.
 
Wallis values Crisostomo – who is on UTEP's leadership team – so much so that he is willing to surrender bringing another player on the roster in her place.
 
Crisostomo continues to be a team player even with a crutch under her right arm and a knee in brace. Her teammates and coaches hear her from a distance. And they feel her energy.
 
"(Crisostomo is) here helping and she helps emotionally," said Wallis after the Miners' sweep of Louisiana Tech. "I hear her voice back there. It's good to have her with us because we would be less complete without her here."
 
Subbing in for Crisostomo at the beginning of the second set versus North Texas was Siañez, a UTEP volleyball legacy player and graduate of El Paso High School, who is playing her first season of collegiate volleyball.
 
"Seeing (Crisostomo) dive for every ball… I was like, 'I'm never going to get my chance.,'" Siañez said.
 
She stepped in and dug out 21 balls, averaging 5.25 digs per set in the match.
 
Siañez has become the best serve-receiving libero in the conference Crisostomo's absence. On paper, Siañez is averaging just 3.35 digs per set since taking over the starting role – good for top-15 in C-USA.
 
Where Siañez stands out is in the volleyball sabermetrics; other than digs and reception percentage, the three-pass percentage quantifies the efficiency of a serve-receiver.
 
Siañez ranks first in C-USA in three-pass percentage with an average of 2.44. Marshall's Sarah Schank – the conference's leader in digs per set – is the next closest libero at 2.10.
 
"I knew she was a good volleyball player (but) I didn't know she was an elite receiver," Wallis said. "And when I say, 'elite receiver', I mean the best receiver in our conference statistically."
 
The three-pass is the ability of the defender to pass the opponent's serve to the middle and front of the net to make available her team's full repertoire of attack options – otherwise known as the money zone for her team's setters and attackers. If UTEP has more kill options, the more likely they will sideout and get the ball back at its service line.
   
 
Siañez's feet remain in place when fielding her opponent's serve. It's the quick movement and angling of her arms that leave Crisostomo and her teammates in awe.
 
"My platform angles (make me such a good receiver)," Siañez said. "I really don't move my feet that much (and I am still) able to make it go in the middle where the setters can get the ball."
 
This carries even more importance for the Miners as they are the best serving team in the conference at 1.92 aces per set.
 
"(Siañez) is the best platform serve-receive passer I've ever met," Crisostomo said.
 
Helping Siañez with her defensive deficiencies in walkthroughs and timeouts is Crisostomo.
 
"I think (Crisostomo) is a voice of reason for (Siañez)," Wallis said. "(Crisostomo has) got to be another assistant coach for us because (defending is) what she's elite at… She's able to think through it and see through it and (willing to) go kill herself to keep the ball off the ground."
 
Crisostomo said there's been reciprocity amongst the quartet of defensive specialists who are either in their first season at UTEP or playing the position. From Siañez, the group learns how to better serve-receive, from Trahan, her quickness and agility and Padilla, her out-of-system setting and taking up space in the middle-back row.
 
"Each of us have our own weaknesses which is someone else's strength," Crisostomo said. "That helps us build our volleyball IQ a little more because everyone has a strength that we're trying to help each other on."
 
Working with her position group has helped Crisostomo discover a new passion: coaching.
 
"The idea of coaching pumps me up because I get to teach and coach people who have such a passion for the game of volleyball, who want to compete, who want to get better and learn and make it far," Crisostomo said. "It's interesting to see how it is from a coach's perspective and being an observer."
 
Siañez said that she can see Crisostomo growing her volleyball wisdom as her player-coach.
 
"(Crisostomo) has a different perspective on everything," Siañez said. "She knows what to say and what not to say because she was in our shoes not too long ago. It makes it so much easier to understand where she is coming from."
 
Crisostomo has at least one more year to take action on coaching possibilities after her Miner career. Depending on her recovery process, Crisostomo will return to the court after the quick turnaround following the spring season.
 
Miner fans will be able to watch UTEP volleyball's vocal leader and, according to Wallis, a potential libero of the year candidate this fall. Crisostomo said the "Beastly One" will be back, ready to continue rewriting the Miners' record books.
 
"I feel like there's going to be a big comeback for me," Crisostomo said. "There's more potential we have for the next year. And working for the postseason (this year) and going to the conference tournament, it's going to… drive us and motivate us to break even more records."