Lake Central senior Mika Salinas might not be as tall as many other outside hitters.
But the 5-foot-8 IU Columbus commit compensates for her atypical height with a demeanor that Lake Central coach Naveed Nizam calls “feisty.”
“It’s a good word to describe me,” Salinas said. “I know when to be feisty on the court. But I also know when to calm down and pick my teammates up and be a good player on the court.”
The enthusiastic Salinas is finding numerous ways to be a consistent contributor in her first season as a full-time varsity player. She’s all over the stat sheet, leading the Indians (10-5) with 26 aces while ranking second with 140 digs and third with 94 kills following a slate of matches over the weekend.
“She’s stepping into her role as a six-rotation outside hitter,” Nizam said. “Blocking, playing defense, playing front and back row — she’s doing everything for us right now.”
Salinas’ contributions include key intangibles, according to Lake Central senior setter Lauren Smith.
“She’s always energetic, always competitive and always wants to win,” Smith said.
Smith noted there’s also a crafty part of Salinas’ game that allows her to thrive even if she’s giving up several inches in height to her opponents.
“She’s gotten smarter with her shots,” Smith said. “Volleyball IQ is something we’re always talking about, and I feel like hers is high. Whenever we’re hitting, there are specific things that we have to execute on because every team is different, and she’s able to adjust.”
Since Salinas started playing volleyball in middle school, she has followed the lead of her older sister, Brianne, a 2023 Lake Central graduate who plays for Malone, a Division II program in Ohio. The Indians won a Class 4A regional title during Brianne Salinas’ senior season.
“She’d always bump with me, always practice with me, and we always did lessons together,” Mika Salinas said. “She was one of my biggest motivators who helped me continue.”
But Lake Central’s senior-heavy lineups in recent seasons meant Salinas had to wait to crack the varsity lineup, which tested her patience.
“That was so tough,” she said. “Especially when we’d be losing in a match, I’d just be wanting to go in.”
Nizam said Salinas has improved steadily over the years but has room to grow.
“There are still some things we’re working on with her, and it’s still early in the season for us,” he said. “We can get her to be more efficient as an outside hitter by bringing her feet to the ball. When she gets her feet involved, her hitting percentage goes higher.”
Salinas acknowledged that technical flaw but said she’s embracing the challenge with her typically energetic approach.
“I don’t know why that’s come up this season. It’s kind of happening to all of us,” she said. “But he’s always reminding me during warmups or during the game. So whenever I’m hitting, I’m just thinking, ‘Feet to the ball.’ And then I can do it.”
Dave Melton is a freelance reporter.
