AUSTIN, Texas — Buda Johnson's undefeated district record and first place district finish are both program records, which were positively impacted by a negative situation that happened several years ago.
During her sophomore season, Jaguar senior Zaniah Hoskins suffered a serious knee injury during a home game against Bowie High School.
"You feel a pop in your knee, and then it's just instant pain," Hoskins said.
"I remember it pretty vividly," Johnson head volleyball coach Thomas Kane said. "I remember where I was standing on the court, and I just remember hearing her scream and immediately knowing it was going to be something pretty bad."
The star sophomore tore multiple ligaments in her knee. The injury required surgery and sidelined Hoskins for the rest of the season.
"I was in disbelief of what had happened," she said. "I was on the floor crying in pain. It was silent, I was scared."
The volleyball player – whose game is all about power – felt powerless, before using her time off the court to become a better player.
"I was able to coach my team and help them see shots that they weren't able to" Hoskins said. "So I also got to see the game in a different perspective."
That new perspective led to new lessons.
"I learned that there are different spots open in the court," Hoskins said. "You can deep tip it, you can tip it to the front row, you can roll shot it to the front row."
That new knowledge allows her to attack the game in a different way. Now as a senior, Hoskins had 661 kills during the regular season – ranking her 19th best in the nation in kills.
"She has a whip for an arm, she hits the ball very, very hard. She jumps out of the gym," Kane said. "A very, very special, unique athlete."
"It just feels so powerful being able to hit the ball onto the court to where nobody can touch the ball," Hoskins said. "It feels great."