Two doors - one leading to cheerleading tryouts, the other to volleyball - stood in front of then-seventh grader Nina Reeves.
Fortunately for the ASU volleyball program, she chose the second door.
"I saw all these little cute blonde girls running into one room, and I saw all these tall cool girls walking into volleyball tryouts," Reeves said. "I was towering above everybody else, so I thought this was probably the spot for me.
"I walked in that door instead of the little blonde door. I've been playing ever since."
Reeves, a senior outside hitter, has played in all 14 of the Sun Devils' matches this season. Her 132 kills rank third on the team and have helped ASU to a 9-5 start.
However, her Sun Devil career almost never happened.
During her senior year at Gilbert High School, Reeves signed a letter of intent to play volleyball at Rutgers, but she said something made her hesitate.
"I don't know if it was the distance [from home] or that the coach didn't really ever call me, but I just got nervous," she said. "I just didn't want to go."
Reeves said she was then ready to attend ASU on an academic scholarship and give up volleyball. However, former ASU assistant coach Scott Swanson had taken over the head-coaching job at UTEP and convinced her to come on a recruiting visit.
"I ended up having the time of my life," Reeves said. "I had so much fun, and I was sold."
After redshirting in 2002, Reeves became one of the Miners' top players the next season. She started all 30 matches, and she finished second on the team with 365 kills, 333 digs and 22 service aces.
Despite the success, she left UTEP after the season, again ready to quit the sport.
"I left because I was just sick of volleyball," she said. "I was sick of my entire life being consumed, and I just wasn't happy. I just didn't think I was cut out for college volleyball."
Reeves transferred to ASU, but she decided to call Terri Spann, then a Sun Devils' assistant coach, just to see if she had the option of playing.
Spann told her to bring some game tape to head coach Brad Saindon. Soon enough, she had another chance to play volleyball.
"I brought in the tape of when we got slaughtered by Hawaii, and he was sold," Reeves said. "I went in at 11 o'clock, and at 1 o'clock he called and told me I had a scholarship."
Saindon said he didn't know Reeves prior to seeing the tape, but between that and hearing what his assistants thought of her, he decided to bring her on board.
"We had a scholarship to give, and it just kind of worked out," Saindon said. "In hindsight, it was a great decision."
Reeves has rewarded Saindon in her three years as a Sun Devil, starting 50 matches and recording more than 400 kills.
This all comes despite Reeves being one of the smallest outside hitters in the Pac-10 at only 5 feet 8 inches - the height she said she has been since being one of the tallest players in junior high.
"I think you have to play like a big girl," Reeves said. "That's what I try to do every day. I think our team - even though we're small - we're fast and we play like we're big. Our whole team is one unit, and we play like one 7-foot girl."
As a fifth-year senior, Reeves is ASU's oldest player, but she said she does not see herself as the team leader.
"I don't think a team is led by one person," she said. "I think a team is led by six solid individuals playing well all the time. This year, I think we have plenty of people that we can count on, and I would take that any day."
Still, Saindon said he believes Reeves shows leadership in the effort she gives each day.
"She comes in and plays hard every day," Saindon said. "She's just solid. There's not a lot of variance from day to day in her work ethic, and that's very important."
Reach the reporter at: matthew.storey@asu.edu.
