Chrystal Stone is an ASU Cronkite School of Journalism student assigned to cover Central High School for AZPreps365.com

Genevieve Delacruz stormed into the 2022 girls volleyball season on a mission. But when the Central High School sophomore opened her eyes after a match in mid-October, she was in an unfamiliar place, with no memory of the night her season ended. 

The night before, the Bobcats were down a set on the road against the Sierra Linda Bulldogs and it was match point for the home team. 

As a tipped ball floated over the net to Central’s side of the court, Delacruz and her teammate both dove for the dig. 

The teammate’s knee collided with Delacruz’s head. 

“All I remember is that she doesn't get up at all,” said Azura Siasau, who plays on the junior varsity team.

Fear permeated throughout the gym as Delacruz lay on the court, struggling to regain consciousness.

“She didn't know anything,” said Ana Alicia Valenzuela, an assistant coach for Central who goes by “Okie.” “She didn't know her name. She didn't know where she was at. So we knew it was really serious.”

Delacruz was helped off the court and treated by an athletic trainer. After resting the remainder of the match, the trainer determined she could travel on the team bus back to Central.

Less than five minutes after departing the Sierra Linda campus, Delacruz collapsed on the bus. She was rushed to the emergency room. 

“When new symptoms emerge, or symptoms get worse, that's when you definitely want to see a clinical provider or be seen by a hospital system in some way, shape, or form,” said Dr. Jonathan Liftshitz, who is a research professor at the University of Arizona’s College of Medicine-Phoenix. 

Lifshitz shared his expertise based on his extensive research on traumatic brain injuries and was not involved in Delacruz’s treatment. 

When Delacruz woke up, she was confused and didn’t know why she was in the hospital. The last thing she remembered was warming up before the game. 

“So it was kind of nerve-racking. But then again, I was with Okie and she's kind of like a comfort person to me,” Delacruz said. “So I was OK. And she told me everything that happened.”

Delacruz was diagnosed with a concussion.

“The brain is a funny organ,” Liftshiz said. “But the same way in which if you were to slam your finger in the car door…initially, there's this weird, slowing and speeding up of time, and then all of a sudden, pulsating, and redness, if not bleeding, and other things are happening. The brain is made up of those same cells and those same tissues. And when there's enough force applied to them, they react. You're not getting a blackout, you're getting more like a lightning strike. There's just too much going on all at once...and the brain may just literally shut down.”

Although volleyball is a non-contact sport, concussions were the second-most sustained injury in girls’ high school volleyball, according to the 2021-2022 National High School Sports-Related Injury Surveillance Study.

Delacruz, who goes by “Eve,” played multiple positions, including libero, defensive specialist, and middle blocker for the Bobcats this season. Central’s varsity coach Kristin Harris worked out a strategy that allowed her to play on the freshman/sophomore, junior varsity, and varsity teams. 

Under the Arizona Interscholastic Association’s rules, a volleyball player can play up to six sets per night during the regular season. Harris used Delacruz for one or two sets for the freshmen team, two for junior varsity, and the rest for varsity. 

Delacruz started playing volleyball in 2021. She spent most of her freshman season on the bench due to her inexperience. However, she caught the eye of Valenzuela and Rudy Hernandez who, in addition to being on the Central coaching staff, also coach an inner-city club volleyball team called Beauty2Beast. 

At the end of the season, Valenzuela and Hernandez invited Delacruz to join their club team. Valenzuela said it was Delacruz’s motivation to get better that impressed her. 

“Every practice is like, ‘What can I do to get better? What do I need to do?’ She’s just a go-getter,” Valenzuela said. 

Delacruz’s hard work paid off. She returned this season with improved volleyball skills and more confidence. In the Sept. 15 matchup against Metro Tech, Delacruz had eight digs and two aces. She was also named co-captain of the junior varsity team. 

“A lot of girls want to be like, ‘Hey, I want to aspire to be like Eve,’” Siasau said. “And it motivates them to keep going through this program and to want to develop their skills more. Because if I remember, Eve did not play at all last year. So, her coming out on this court this year and dominating it is amazing.” 

After six players were cut from the team due to code-of-conduct violations and a coaching change was made midseason, Delacruz’s leadership made the biggest impact on the team. 

“Eve is the voice of the teams,” Valenzuela said. “She just knows how to get the girls into check.”

The Bobcats played the remainder of the season without Delacruz. The medical team and Harris decided it was best to end her season early. 

“She's only a sophomore,” Harris said. “I really want to preserve that as much as possible. While every single team will severely miss her on and off the court, and her energy, I think it's just smarter in this case to let those three games be her rest time, so that she's fully prepared for next year.”

Lifshitz said determining a timeline for return is a player-by-player decision that relies heavily on the athlete’s openness about the symptoms they are feeling. 

“Unlike an ankle, a knee, an elbow, or wrist, you can't touch the brain,” Lifshitz said. “There's a certain level of honesty that's associated with it. … AIA has put together guidelines that the team follows in order to protect the mental, physical, and emotional health of our athletes.”

The Bobcats lost their final three matches and finished the season with just three wins. 

“Heart is missing from our court without Eve,” Harris said after a 3-0 loss to Betty H. Fairfax on Oct. 26. “Especially when we're down, she really brings us back up.”

Although Delacruz hoped she could be cleared to return to the team, she now has her sights set on next season.

“Honestly, I'm really bummed, especially because I've worked so hard to be here,” Delacruz said. “But then again, I really have to take care of myself so I can be better for the next year. I want to play. I’m a competitor. Sports are my dedication.”