The quiet warriors

Seeing Autumn Combs break the career blocks record did my heart good. Finally, she can begin getting some of the recognition she has so long deserved.

Since her freshman season, Autumn has been a force to be reckon with at the net for the Lady Bulldogs. She's posted 200-plus blocks per season, been a constant pain in the side of the opponents, and yet has never really gotten the credit she has deserved for the Lady Bulldogs' success the past couple of seasons.

Part of that's been due to the fact others on the volleyball team has put up bigger numbers in other categories - the ones the majority of people pay attention to like kills, assists and digs. Another reason is that Autumn has just quietly gone about her business, never really seeking the spotlight.

But now, at the beginning of her junior campaign, Autumn is the career blocks leader in program history.

And if she continues what she's done her first two seasons, that number might be hard to reach. I wouldn't be surprised if she finishes with over 900 career blocks.

Autumn is someone I like to call a "quiet warrior" - a person who's a fierce competitor and just goes about their business without much fanfare. And every successful team has one or more quiet warriors.

For example, the 2008 Union baseball team had David Fairbanks. A fifth-year senior, he was generally overshadowed on the field by others putting up large numbers. But David was a model of consistency, playing every day. So much so, he set the program record for most games played. And on a team that averaged hitting .331, David batted a "quiet" .348 and had 31 RBIs, 54 runs scored and 22 stolen bases.

And there is no doubt that David was a key part the Bulldogs' NAIA World Series run. Sure he batted toward the bottom of the lineup, but he kept the innings going so bring the top of the lineup back up to the plate.

I realized I opened a can of worms by mentioning only two people here, but I could go on and on. My point in writing all this is point out the unsung heroes on the teams, the quiet warriors if you will.

They are out there. Just pay attention and you'll find them.