Baptista helped put Hilmar volleyball on the map

Emily Baptista remembers the small crowds, made up of mostly parents of players, during her freshman season at Hilmar High.

It was much different than playing in front of a packed gym at Tokay High this season for the Sac-Joaquin Section Division IV championship against Sonora.

“It was nice to see the community get behind us,” Baptista said.

“It meant a lot to us that so many people came to watch us,” she said about the people who made the 60-mile trip from Hilmar to Lodi. “It was a blast.”

Baptista helped put Hilmar volleyball on the map during her high school career. Baptista led the Yellowjackets to a third consecutive undefeated run through the Trans-Valley League. The Hilmar senior led the Sac-Joaquin Section and was second in the state with 579 kills and led the section with 5.2 kills per set.

After leading the Yellowjackets to a 36-8 record and a third consecutive appearance in the section title game, Baptista is the Sun-Star Volleyball Player of the Year.

“It’s all gone by so fast,” said Baptista, who was also named the Sun-Star Player of the Year after her sophomore season. “It’s crazy that I’m already done. I think what I’m most proud of is Hilmar volleyball being recognized. Hilmar has always been a football town. ... To see how far we’ve come since my freshman year, it’s pretty cool.”

During Baptista’s four-year varsity career, Hilmar compiled a 137-35 record, which includes a 44-2 TVL record and three league titles. The Yellowjackets have won 35 consecutive TVL matches.

“We were really fortunate to have someone like Emily come through the program,” Hilmar coach Patti Harris said. “It doesn’t happen very often, especially at a small school like ours. We were also fortunate to have good players around Emily the last four years, too.

“With her playing at the level she’s at, she makes everyone around her better.”

Not only does the 6-foot-2 Baptista have the power to hammer home kills, but she’s also got the finesse game. With teams sending two blockers at her, she’s found other ways to beat teams.

“I would say she’s really improved with her ability to place balls strategically on the court,” Harris said. “She’s worked extremely hard at hitting around the block and seeing the whole court.”

The one thing missing on Baptista’s résumé is the blue banner. Three times Baptista led the Yellowjackets to the section title game, but each time they were denied by Sonora.

“It was pretty hard,” Baptista said. “Every year, Sonora had a tough team. They won a state championship last year. They were super stacked. We just went out and tried our best.”

Hilmar’s best opportunity was its first appearance in the title game during Baptista’s sophomore year. The Yellowjackets won the first two games before the Wildcats won in five games.

“My sophomore year still stings,” Baptista said. “I don’t like to talk about it. Then, the last two years Sonora just had really good teams.”

The next step for Baptista will be at Pacific after signing her national letter of intent accepting a volleyball scholarship in November. The Hilmar star knows it will be a challenge.

“I’m super excited for it,” Baptista said. “I know it’s going to be a whole different atmosphere. Everyone there is going to love playing volleyball, and everyone wants playing time. I think that environment is going to push me very hard. The volleyball level is going to be a lot faster than club or high school.”

Harris feels Baptista will fit right in at Pacific. Harris’ challenge will be coaching a team without Baptista for the first time in four years.

“The last four years have been awesome,” Harris said. “To watch a player like Emily just get better and stronger each year, I definitely feel lucky to have a player like that come through the program.”

This story was originally published January 14, 2016 at 6:04 PM with the headline "Baptista helped put Hilmar volleyball on the map."