Wake Forest Athletics
Freshman Tarah Shelton is waiting for her turn
10/5/2001 12:00:00 AM | Women's Volleyball
Oct. 5, 2001
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Shelton waits for her turn
By Ron Wagner Times-News Staff WriterOctober 5, 2001
Editor's note: Area high schools produce college athletes every year, but seldom have fields, courts and pools at the next level been filled with so many talented local products. Times-News Staff Writer Ron Wagner spent last week catching up with a few of those athletes. Following is the second in a five-part series:
By Ron Wagner Times-News Staff Writer
WINSTON-SALEM - Like virtually everyone else in this part of the volleyball universe, Tarah Shelton has lived most of her athletic life in the daunting shadow of Molly Pyles.
Shelton's East Henderson High team won two 3-A state titles while she was there. Pyles' Hendersonville High squad netted four.
Twice, she was named to the Times-News All-Area team, and twice she was All-Mountain Athletic Conference. Pyles made the All-Area squad four times and was both the T-N's and the Smoky Mountain East Conference's Player of the Year three times.
Shelton's senior year, the Lady Eagles only lost three matches. Pyles' senior year, the Lady Bearcats were responsible for two of those setbacks and didn't lose any.
Shelton is a 5-11 outside hitter, Pyles is a 6-0 outside hitter. Last spring, while Pyles was inking with ACC power North Carolina amidst much fanfare, Shelton quietly made plans to attend Wake Forest as an invited walk-on.
And last Friday, while Pyles was seeing significant action during the Tar Heels' match with the Demon Deacons in Winston-Salem, Shelton stayed on the bench.
Perhaps it was a blessing or perhaps it was a curse to have been born at the same time as the best player in Henderson County history, but no matter what heights Pyles goes on to achieve, it's time for everyone to realize something else: Shelton is a pretty darn good player in her own right.
"Tarah has come in and been a pleasant surprise. She is so athletic," Wake coach Valorie Baker said. "She has a lot of natural ability that's going to carry her far. She just needs to get some experience, and right now she's gaining a lot in practice. She's showing some good signs."
As has often been the case in their careers, Pyles' team topped Shelton's team Friday when UNC pulled out a tough 3-1 win. After the match, however, the two shared a hug and some kind words, and there was no evidence of any rivalry at all.
Probably because there isn't one.
"We've talked to each other on the phone a few times, comforting one another," Shelton said with a smile about her close relationship with Pyles. "She's a sweetheart."
So close are the two, in fact, that Shelton admitted to some split loyalties during Friday's intense match.
"I was kind of cheering for her. Just for her, not the team," Shelton said. "She's such a good person."
The same could be said of Shelton, who went about her business quietly but efficiently at East. Playing volleyball in college was important to Shelton, but not as important as the chance to get a top-notch education.
So she made choosing a school for its academics a top priority, turning down chances to play at smaller institutions for the chance to graduate from Wake. Once she was accepted, she contacted Baker with the hope that she would at least get a chance to try out.
Little did Shelton know that she would be welcomed with open arms. Baker said Shelton had caught her eye while playing for the Biltmore Volleyball Club, Western North Carolina's premier AAU team, and she knew exactly who Shelton was when she called.
"She was just such an athletic kid that we definitely saw potential there, so it's worked out great on both ends," Baker said. "She's doing a great job. We're really pleased with her. She can hit the ball hard, and she's a versatile player because she's hit some middle before. ...We want to be able to use her, and I think maybe closer to the end of the season she'll be more ready for us."
Shelton has seen little action so far, appearing in four games for the 8-5 Demon Deacons, who are 2-2 in the ACC. She says that life at the highest level of college competition is still something she's getting used to.
"It's good. It's a lot different, but it's great to be a part of it," she said. "It's a lot harder, a lot more intense. It's very frustrating. I'm not used to it, I guess. ... The level of play is completely different from what I've experienced before. And just to go from being a major part of the team to playing a more minor role and being at the bottom of the totem pole is a lot different."
Now that she's playing in college, however, she intends to make the most of the opportunity. Baker thinks she can.
"She just needs a little bit more playing at this level, at this speed, because she hasn't seen that a lot," Baker said. "She definitely pushes us in practice, so that's helping us. It's helping our kids get better because they're playing against a better opposite side.
"She has gotten in a few games, and she does OK. I think the biggest thing is just the confidence and the experience. That's going to come a little bit at a time, but I think eventually she'll turn into a really nice player for us."
Shelton, while still feeling her way, is starting to see ways she can contribute.
"It's challenging. It's good to push other players, though, and I feel like I am pushing other players," she said. "Probably the thing I'm going to contribute to in the nearest future is going to be my defense, just getting as many contacts as I can. But eventually, I want to play right side or outside."
Coming Saturday: Former T.C. Roberson standout David Testo.
