Post by volleydog on Apr 20, 2006 13:40:43 GMT -5
www.sltrib.com/contentlist/ci_3729718
BYU's Cala happy with his new life
Big choice: Volleyball star left Cuba less than two years ago
By Martin Renzhofer
The Salt Lake Tribune
BYU men's volleyball player Yosleyder Cala left his parents and three siblings behind when he defected from Cuba. (Stephen Holt/The Salt Lake Tribune)
Yosleyder Cala didn't conceive a grand plan to leave his native Cuba.
In December 2004, as the Cuban national volleyball team was in Puerto Rico trying to qualify for the Olympic Games, Cala, now a freshman on the No. 4-ranked Brigham Young men's volleyball team, simply walked away.
"I called a friend and went to his house," Cala remembered. "I said, 'Don't tell anybody.' I only started thinking about it a few months before."
Cala walked away from privileged status as a member of the Cuban national team - which placed second in the 2003 Pan American Games - as well as his parents, two sisters and a brother.
"It was really hard," said Cala, a 6-foot-8 outside hitter. "Having friends and teammates here help for sure. But it was hard. I'm not complaining. The decision was for the good."
Fourth-ranked BYU certainly
thinks so. After dropping their last four matches, the Cougars need whatever Cala can give as Mountain Pacific Sports Federation tournament play begins Saturday. BYU opens the quarterfinals against host Long Beach State. The event serves as a qualifier for the NCAA Tournament.
Despite 21 kills and a career-best six service aces from Cala, BYU took No. 2 Hawaii to the wire but could not pull out a win, falling 3-2 Saturday in Honolulu to conclude the regular season at 18-8 overall and 14-8 in the MPSF.
Cala was persuaded by former Cougars Hector Lebron and Ossie Antonetti, who were in Puerto Rico, to give BYU a look. After visiting several schools, Cala chose BYU, and eventually converted to the LDS faith.
The composition of BYU's team has helped make Cala's transition easier. The Cougars' roster includes several Latinos and Spanish-speaking players, including senior Victor Batista, whose desire to improve his future - as well as play volleyball - led him to leave his family in the Dominican Republic.
The difference, though, is Batista, a 6-foot-6 middle blocker, can return to the Dominican Republic to visit family. Unless the Cuban political climate changes, Cala can never return home, and is only left with occasional phone calls.
"That would be hard," said Batista, a two-time All-American. "I never had a problem with homesickness. You do what you have to do to make yourself a better life. You make the sacrifice."
Batista remembered how difficult it was when he first arrived at BYU, including learning to speak English. During his first season, Batista needed a translator standing nearby just to get through practices.
"Life is very different, 180 degrees," Batista said. "You have to deal with language, the weather, different cultures and religions. School is very, very different, too."
So
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far, the transition has been smooth. Cala, not eligible until the season was under way, made a dramatic impact on BYU's fortunes. In two matches against Pepperdine, Cala recorded 30 kills, including 20 in the second match.
It was the fourth-most kills in a three-game match in Cougars history.
In 55 games, Cala averages four kills and is hitting .383.
"Cala's an immense talent," BYU coach Tom Peterson said. "Asking him to learn everything in three months is a lot to ask. He affects our games quite a bit, and when he's on, he is fun to watch."
Though Cala is talented, Peterson continues to work on improving the team's player rotation during matches. Having Cala part of the BYU lineup meant juggling a rotation that was established before January.
"We're just one of the teams that can win," Peterson said of BYU's chances. "It's kind of like driving a six-cylinder car. If only five cylinders are working, we're not going to win. Any time you make a change, it takes time. You can't just throw him out there and expect to win."
For Cala, the possible rewards are worth the emotional toll.
"The transition is always hard," he said. "I'm still working, but it's not a big problem. I feel good. I enjoy playing at BYU. I'm enjoying myself right now."
martyr@sltrib.com
Yosleyder Cala file
* Yosleyder Cala defected from Cuba
in December 2004 during an Olympic Games men's volleyball qualifying match in Puerto Rico. He joined the Brigham Young volleyball team this season.
* The native of Ciego Avila, Cuba, left behind his parents, two sisters
and a brother.
* Cala was a member of the Cuban men's junior and national teams from 1998-2004. The national team won the silver medal at the 2003 Pan-American Games.
* He averages 4.02 kills a game and has a .383 hitting percentage.