Athlete ready for next step
Staff writer
Danae Bina says she is a terrible loser, which may partly explain why she did not lose much during her high school athletic career.
Everything she did growing up was a competition, as she was the youngest of nine children.
“I have five brothers, and I’m closer in age to all of my brothers,” she said. “They pushed me around, so they made me tough.”
A Marion resident, Bina played on four state-qualifying basketball and volleyball teams, and three softball teams at Hillsboro High School. She was part of consecutive volleyball championships the past three seasons and a first-place finish her sophomore year in softball.
“Sophomore year when we won state volleyball it kind of opened a door,” she said. “We could be successful at anything.”
The only times she missed state tournament competition were her junior season, when the softball team lost in the regional championship, and as a freshman, when a torn medial collateral ligament sidelined her during basketball season.
“Eleven of 12 times to go to state, and I play in 10 of them,” she said. “I have eight other siblings, and I have more state titles than they have combined.”
Bina said she has been a competitor since a young age, even playing soccer and wrestling before high school.
“Danae’s kind of a natural-born leader,” Hillsboro volleyball coach Sandy Arnold said. “So when she came to high school, she was ready to play right away.”
Vocal leader that Bina is, Arnold said she had to learn to be quiet as a freshman.
“She gave everybody else their turn, and when she had opportunities she seized them,” Arnold said.
Bina now is preparing for another freshman season, as she will be playing volleyball at Butler Community College in the fall. She is excited about playing at the next level.
“I’m excited to be pushed by other people and to reach my highest level, because I’m not there yet,” she said.
Bina chose volleyball because she loves guiding defense as the team’s libero.
“There’s nothing greater than diving sideways to pick up a ball, and know that if you wouldn’t have put forth that effort the other team would have scored,” she said.
Arnold said Bina learned every year as a player.
“She’s constantly striving for something new,” Arnold said. “She’s just a fireball and a go-getter. She has big goals and big dreams, and knowing her she’ll make them come true.”
Last modified June 19, 2014