Puente’s love for volleyball brings her to America

Selanny Puente is making a trade-off with Weatherford College. 

The college is helping her become acclimated as an American and she is helping the volleyball program be one of the best in the nation. 

"I chose Weatherford College because of my interest in learning about American culture as well as American volleyball," said Puente, who hails from the Dominican Republic. "While researching about Weatherford College I liked it from the beginning, and when I got in contact with Coach Kailee May I was very pleased with her interest in having me join [the team] and that motivated me more to come here." 

The 6-foot-4-inch middle blocker made an immediate impact last season as a freshman, helping the Coyotes to a conference championship and a 21-8 record. Recently, they earned their first national ranking at No. 11. 

Puente ranked 13th nationally last season in hitting percentage at .336 and was named first-team all-Northern Texas Junior College Athletic Conference. 

And now, May said Puente has stepped into the role of a leader, as one would expect from a sophomore - one who leads by example more than with her words. 

"Selanny is definitely a quiet leader. The entire team looks up to her as an athlete because she is a huge presence at the net and has played at a high level for her country," May said. "She is competitive and works hard, but also has a great sense of humor and is fun to be around. 

"She is the type of player that everyone wants on their team." 

Puente learned to love volleyball as a child. 

"I used to watch the games of the Queens of the Caribbean, the national team of the Dominican Republic, and that is what motivated me to practice this sport, the desire to represent my country," she said. 

So she focused only on volleyball, while others were playing multiple sports. Her success before WC included placing second in the Champions Cup competition with her club team and participating in the Under-19 World Championship in Croatia earlier this year, which was special for another reason. 

"My younger sister also plays volleyball. We play the same position," Puente said, noting they played in the elite event together. 

Puente previously played in the U.S. in an Under-19 tournament in Tulsa. She noted that with the exception of some small differences in rules, the American game is similar and both are good, quality volleyball. 

Of course, as with any journey to a new country came some challenges. There are times when she misses home. 

"It was hard having to leave my family and friends in the Dominican Republic and having to start from scratch here with a different language and culture." 

As for life after WC, she plans to keep improving as a volleyball player and to become a professional in the field of architecture. She hasn't committed to a higher level program yet, but May said plenty of NCAA Division I programs are interested in her.     

"I have liked architecture for a long time. The idea of creating, drawing and elaborating houses is something I like," Puente said. 

In the meantime, she has certainly helped design a successful volleyball program with the Coyotes.