TALLADEGA — Even as a senior, Kwentavious Boyd of the Alabama School for the Deaf is not entirely comfortable under the spotlight.He shifts nervously in his seat, and seems somewhat embarrassed when ASD volleyball coach Joan Dean declares, “A star is born!”
“I’m feeling a little awkward right now,” he says.
He’ll have to get used to the attention. The Opelika native — who leads the Silent Warriors (2-1) against Florida this Saturday — has put up memorable numbers through ASD’s first three games. Boyd and the rest of the Warriors will host Florida this Saturday at 7 p.m.
“We’re very serious and very motivated,” Boyd said Tuesday. “The seniors on this team, we’re like a family. We have great teamwork here and we’ve worked very hard.”
It shows – ASD put up 89 points in its first two games against Jacksonville Christian and Georgia School for the Deaf, before falling last week on the road against powerful Indiana.
This week they’ll open play at Kiwanis Memorial Field on campus, taking on the Dragons (0-1), who defeated them 32-0 last season on the road.
As important, it’s Homecoming at ASD, part of the sesquicentennial celebration on campus – the weekend will feature the Southern Spike-Out volleyball tournament, as well as a number of visitors.
“This is a very serious game,” says Boyd. “There will be a lot of people – news people, parents, family and friends. We don’t want to be embarrassed.
“Florida is a good team, and they’re going to try and beat us.”
Shutting down Boyd will be the visitors’ primary thrust if they plan to do that. Against Georgia, the senior ran wild, rushing for 169 yards and three touchdowns on 10 carries. He also recorded seven tackles on defense.
At Indiana, things weren’t so good – the Hoosiers limited him to 43 yards on seven carries in a 26-0 defeat.
“That game was tough,” he said.
In the fourth season under head coach Paul Kulick, Boyd has stepped into a leadership role as an upperclassman.
“Camp was really hard this year,” he said. “The team worked hard and we did well in the (preseason) scrimmage.
“The first game (against Jacksonville Christian) we did really well on offense – our offensive line has improved a lot and done a lot better.”
And, despite the disappointment at Indy, the senior still has lofty goals for his final campaign.
“Our ultimate goal is to be national champions,” he said. “We’ve got to practice, be aggressive and play as a team, we’ll be good to go.”
