SKY'S THE LIMIT-Simi Valley's Shakila Balkhi goes up high for a serve during a recent practice session. The senior is the "heart" of the Pioneer girls' volleyball team, said head coach Ryan Meek. The head coach of Simi Valley High girls' volleyball team, Ryan Meek, will be putting a lot of pressure on senior Shakila Balkhi to perform well for his team this year. Unfortunately for Simi's opponents, Balkhi thrives on pressure.

After being named a co-captain at the end of her junior year, Balkhi has dedicated herself to getting the Pioneers ready to improve on a 15-7 season in 2005.

"The work ethic of this team has been great," Balkhi said. "We're in here about eight hours a day it seems. It's so different from last year. Every single girl wants to win."

According to Meek, Balkhi has responded well to being a team leader for the Pioneers.

"She was a little bit more one dimensional last year," Meek said. "I told her that more pressure will be on her this year, but she has really stepped up her game. She seems to be in the weight room and practicing every day."

READY TO GO-After countless hours of practice this summer, Shakila Balkhi and the Pioneer girls' volleybalteam are eager to get the regular season underway. Before Balkhi started playing volleyball, she learned how to handle pressure by competing in tae kwon do. She quit in eighth grade, but not before she got a black belt and a frame of mind she now uses in volleyball.

"Karate-you have to be so disciplined in your movements," Balkhi said. "If you don't do things right, then you don't move on to the next belt. There is only so much a coach can tell you, and it kind of takes your own drive to be successful. So I think that tae kwon do has helped me with my volleyball."

Balkhi played her first two years at Simi on the junior varsity team, although she was disappointed when she didn't make the varsity squad her sophomore year.

"Sophomore year I was devastated when I didn't make the varsity team," she said. "That summer, I worked so hard. We won league that year, and even though it was only J.V., it felt pretty good."

Balkhi worked hard enough to make the varsity team during her junior year and contributed by leading the team in digs. When the season ended, she was voted to be one of two team captains for the Pioneers. Being a leader on the team has come naturally for Balkhi, who spends much of her time off the court in a leadership class.

"I think I try to lead vocally and by example," she said. "I think you need to prove yourself in order to lead. I can't tell someone to do something if I'm not doing it myself. So I think it's more of a 'do what I do, not do what I say' sort of leadership that I like."

Being a senior brings more responsibilities to Balkhi. In addition, she'll see more playing time in her last season for the Pioneers.

"Last year we had a lot of returning seniors so they were kind of expected to lead the team," Balkhi said. "I was kind of the girl that if one of the seniors wasn't passing or hitting that well on that particular day, I would step in. This year, I'm not allowed to have an off day."

Balkhi doesn't mind working hard, and she said, neither does her team, as they've worked harder than ever this past offseason.

"I like being the leader, knowing that if we are going to win it's going to be because we really tried," Balkhi said. "And that's one thing I felt we didn't have last year. I mean, our girls this year, there is no doubt they're good, but I really feel that this year they also have that drive you need."

In the meantime, Meek is glad that Balkhi is playing for his team and he thinks she'll handle the pressure of being a leader well.

"Basically, she's the heart of our team," Meek said. "She's the girl that drives the practices. She is now a great all-around player. You won't find any major flaws in her game."