It started for Muskogee High senior Dionna Roberts in the sixth grade. “A friend of mine and I had just been playing around with volleyball when I found out there was a school team we could join and that’s how I got started and I’ve been playing volleyball ever since,” said Roberts who also plays basketball for the Roughers. Dionna is a right-side hitter, and she has a strategy on what she’s looking for when she’s going for the kill. “I’m looking for a specific player to hit it to and I particularly like to go cross court if I can. If I’m at the net and I see a block coming, I’ll just try to tip it over the player but mostly I’m able to find a spot to hit between their hands. Dionna explained there were a couple of things that she finds particularly appealing about volleyball. “The thing I like about volleyball is the people-it’s the people who made me love the game to begin with it and the community it forms. I like digging a lot but in general I just like the feeling of the ball hitting my hands. The Rougher volleyballers are under the guidance of a new coach this year in Tracy Wilmes and Roberts says it’s made a change in the attitude on the team. “I think it’s a lot more fun. We’re a smaller group this year but that just helps us be closer. The new coach is fun and chill, but he can be serious too.” Traditionally the Roughers have always had a disadvantage in height when it came to playing the large Tulsa area schools like Jenks and Broken Arrow who often have players six feet or taller, but that doesn’t intimidate Roberts who says, “We’re often smaller but I think we’re scrappier.” After high school Dionna says she plans to attend college.
