Going into her second year of varsity volleyball, Erica Mallari bounces back to her game.

As a sophomore, Mallari went from being a defense specialist during her freshman year to libero, which is the team’s main passer.

“She’s great at making sure her passes to the setter are easy to get to,” junior Michal Francisco said.

Their passing drills helped her improve her skills and with the help of her coach who is also teaching her to be a middle back.

“Since she’s (Coach Bennett) making me a libero, she wants me to know how to play middle back since I have been playing left back,” Mallari said.

She learned how to play volleyball in 5th grade but did not discover her love for the sport until 7th grade.

While she was trying out for Birmingham Community Charter High School’s volleyball team, she had low expectations on the team because of her 5’1 height but it seems being short has its upside.

“Since she’s short, she’s not afraid to dive for the ball,” Francisco said.

Making it to the team as a freshman was not easy and Mallari had to deal with the transition of playing for fun into playing for a more competitive scene while also dealing with being the youngest player.

“I feel a lot more confident now that I have experience and now that it’s my second year, I’m used to it,” she said.

Their preseason games begin on Sept. 3 as they play against Kennedy.

“I can’t wait for this year’s season,” Mallari said.