Kickapoo star, Arizona State recruit Bella Faria has an eye for the spectacular
Bella Faria wouldn't mind a career in broadcasting, but the Kickapoo senior finds more joy at the creative controls than the prospect of being on television.
Faria, her student body's media commissioner, is meticulous with her Canon Powershot G7 X camera and editing software. Her work is often geared toward high-energy promotional videos for KHS, experience she hopes to leverage into something much bigger.
"I think it would be cool to be on camera, but I think I am more behind the scenes with editing and directing people," Faria said.
Faria's approach on the volleyball court is similar, but the Arizona State recruit has a hard time avoiding attention.
One of the top Class of 2024 volleyball players the state of Missouri, Faria spearheads a senior-heavy Kickapoo program looking to make its return to the Class 5 state championship match after falling in last year's final.
The Lady Chiefs (19-4), who are riding a 60-game conference win streak, hadn't previously advanced that deep into a state tournament since 1994.
Faria is a big reason why.
"She communicates well, which creates a lot of trust," said 10th-year Kickapoo coach Marci Adams. "She is obviously talented, but she also contributes to our team culture in many ways. She wants the next ball and hates making errors."
Innate leadership and a perfectionist mentality could translate into a successful directing career for Faria after college in sunny Tempe, Arizona. Her versatility got the college's attention.
Faria is a six-rotation player in the high school ranks, boasting the ability to elevate at the net with thundering kills, but also quick with sturdy hands as she scans the ball behind her teammates.
The spring-heeled Faria has 988 career digs, 850 kills and 127 aces, numbers that would be even higher if she didn't share the load with several others that have the ability to play beyond high school.
"I think we have talked about how chemistry is such a big role, especially in the sport of volleyball and this team," Faria said. "The way we have been playing, and it goes beyond skill, has taken us the furthest we have been in a long time."
Faria, who garnered most of her recruiting interest while playing in the summer months with local traveling club team Apex, said she started believing she had the tools to play at a major university during her sophomore year.
Adams said she pulled Faria up to varsity as a freshman, when she was eager to get in big swings on a 2020 team loaded with talent.
"She is the ultimate competitor," Adams said of Faria, who has seen Kickapoo go 100-28 over the past four seasons.
Faria attracted recruiting interest from several Division I schools on the West Coast before choosing Arizona State during her junior year. ASU is currently a member of a Pac-12 conference that's among the strongest and deepest in the nation, but the Sun Devils recently opted to leave for the Big 12 Conference, a move that begins in the fall of 2024.
"I really liked (ASU)," said Faria, who stands at 5-foot-9 and is admittedly shorter than your typical big-college outside hitter "I was recruited as a backrow player, but I hope I have a chance to play in the front row a little bit like I do now."
This article originally appeared on Springfield News-Leader: Kickapoo star, Arizona State recruit Faria the 'ultimate competitor'
