It takes a certain mentality to play the libero position in volleyball, which is the last line of a team’s defense.

Some might say the role — whose main job requires getting in front of and getting up balls smashed at prodigious speeds and at crazy angles — requires a libero to have a screw loose and a tight mouthpiece. The fact that fifth-ranked Texas’ libero, Cat McCoy, is a freshman says a lot about her toughness, adaptability and ability to rise to the occasion.

With their football seasons on the line, a few schools have sought a savior on their depth charts.

Vandegrift and Cedar Ridge have both relied on second-string quarterbacks over the past few weeks, and Stony Point started backup Tanner Aenchbacher in its regular-season finale against Pflugerville on Thursday.

» Faces Off the Field: Gavin Graham, senior defensive back, Anderson

Daniel Viegra entered his freshman year at Hendrickson more interested in playing baseball than in running, but as spring approached, he made a last-minute decision to join the boys track and field team.

Good call. He raced at 1,600 and 3,200 meters for the Hawks, posting top times of 4 minutes, 31 seconds in the 1,600 and 9:53 at 3,200 meters.

Texas running back Malcolm Brown grabbed a seat in the interview room the other day and waited.

A good 10 seconds of awkward silence passed before someone finally blurted out a question.

In this, his senior year, Brown is practicing patience.

Through his first eight games, he had not cracked 100 yards, a skid he was relieved to snap last week at Texas Tech.

He’s a defenseman by trade, but John Klingberg always has been used to putting up points.

The Dallas Stars, intrigued by his offensive potential, drafted the smooth-skating Swede in the fifth round in 2010. Four years later, he’s proving the Stars brass right with a hot start in his first AHL season.

Klingberg, 22, is second on the Texas Stars with nine points (three goals, six assists) in nine games.