Texas recruit Lexi Sun could be NCAA volleyball's next big star

— -- The Red Zone refused to relent. Energizing its home gym in Solana Beach, California, Santa Fe Christian's student section jumped and shimmied and yelled "Bounce! Bounce! Bounce!" before each Long Beach Poly serve in the first round of the state Open Division playoffs last month.

SFC's 6-foot-2 senior outside hitter, Lexi Sun, the nation's top recruit who recently signed with Texas, logged a forceful kill in the second set that landed into the Zone. Her classmates clawed to get a fingertip on the ball, fighting for position the way fans at a concert vie for a pop star's tossed hairband.

Sun, the 2016 ALL-USA Player of the Year, kept her cool as Poly fought back, 24-22. Sun smiled, patted a teammate on the back and, in a blink, threw down two monster kills with ease.

"It's like she floats and then a cannon goes off," said Brad Sandusky, SFC's sports information coordinator, shaking his head at the scorer's table.

Behind Sun's 25 kills and three blocks, SFC defeated Long Beach Poly 25-21, 26-24, 25-22. Sun, who has attended the school since kindergarten, looked back at the net. She has spent hours here perfecting her swing.

"Things aren't just going to be given to you," Sun said. "You have to truly work day in and day out for the things you want. You can't take days off. You can't take plays off."

Grabbing the mic

Two hours before the Poly match, Sun helped take down the basketball hoops from the boys' practice and began dribbling a volleyball.

"Can you dunk?" a boy asked.

"I haven't really tried," Sun said.

With a jump touch of 10 feet, 9 inches, she probably could. Her father, Conrad, played basketball for Sacramento State and for the Taiwanese national team. Her mother, Beth, was a competitive swimmer. Her brother, Marcus, played basketball for Wheaton College, and her sister, Natalie, was an NAIA All-American soccer player at Azusa Pacific.

Sun, an Under Armour High School First Team All-American, was awarded the 2016 Best Spiker Award for the U.S. Junior National Team. She's also a four-time all-tournament team honoree at the USA Junior National Championship Tournament.