Oct. 4, 2004

When prospective students dream about becoming the next generation of doctors, physical therapists, occupational therapists or athletic trainers, professors use a human skeleton so that students can have a visual diagram in front of them.

Professors use the fake skeleton to showcase a body part or highlight where certain joints can be located, and it becomes the first experience students have with the human body.

At times, University of Texas-Pan American volleyball captain Winker Cruz (Harlingen, TX/Harlingen South H.S.) can relate to the human skeleton. Having doctors surrounding her body, pointing out where a certain pain is stemming from and quickly trying to find ways to erase it. That part of life has become the norm for the UTPA senior.

To exactly pinpoint the origin of the pain, Cruz can immediately point to her lower body where her legs have suffered the most wear and tear. Even though doctors have warned her about the long-term effects of putting too much stress on her legs, Cruz believes that sitting on the sidelines would be more painful than actually being out on the court.

"I can't stand not being on the floor. If I'm out there and can't help the team then I'll sit out because I'm only hurting my teammates. However, if I can make a difference on the floor then I want to be out there. I can't stand sitting and not being able to change things," said Cruz.

Cruz came face-to-face with that reality last year when surgery sidelined the Lady Broncs' outside hitter for the entire season, resulting in her watching as her teammates went on to record one of the most successful seasons in program history.

The news of her surgery happened as Cruz was at her highest after being recognized as the 2002 Independent Offensive Player of the Year at the conclusion of her junior campaign. That season, the Harlingen South product became the third player in UTPA history to record at least 300 kills and 300 digs in a single season.

Cruz, who received her nickname as a baby from her father, also etched her name into the single-season record books, finishing seventh in total attacks (979) and ninth in kills (363) along with setting personal-bests in 13 categories. She recorded 15 or more kills on 11 occasions, which was also tops on the team.

However - doctors were still unsure of whether or not they would allow her to play again so Cruz set out to make up their minds for them. When they told her to stay on crutches for seven weeks, one week was about all she could handle then it was back to getting into shape for the upcoming season.

"I couldn't stand being on crutches and not being able to run or play. It was really hard for me to not being able to do what I love to do. After one week, I was off the crutches then I started running after four weeks. I knew that I was coming back," Cruz added.

The road back proved to be a long one, but it was a worthy journey nonetheless as Cruz came back for her senior season with high hopes. She also made a pact with the doctors that she would take better care of her body, promising also to take vitamins on a daily basis and rest more often.

"I promised the doctors that I would keep myself healthy so I'm a lot smarter about how I handle my body now. I never said that I wasn't going to come back even if the doctors sometimes said it. The fact is I made it back," Cruz said.

After losing the program's all-time offense leader in Jaclyn Muszynski, the Lady Broncs were still holding high expectations for the 2004 season with Cruz's return. In her first test of the season at the McAllen Holiday Inn UTPA Invitational, Cruz passed with flying colors as she recorded 10 or more kills in three of the squad's first four matches, including a 14-kill, 15-dig performance against Oklahoma in the championship match.

So far in 2004, Cruz has appeared in 36 of the Lady Broncs' 46 total games, but has made an impact in every time she steps on the court. She recorded her best match of the season against North Texas at the Texas Tech Red Raider Round-Up when she notched 17 kills in 36 total attacks for a .462 hitting percentage.

"The one thing about Winker is that she brings a lot of energy to the floor, even if she doesn't show it. She's definitely one of our best athletes. She's brings a lot of experience and leadership to the team. She's been through all of the battles and knows how to step up at big times. It's been great to have Winker back," said head coach Dave Thorn.

Cruz hasn't been one to show emotion on the floor, but prefers to keep everything bottled up in order to never get too high or too low. It's the calm on-court composure that has earned her the respect of both her coaches and teammates.

"I like self-control. I like to keep myself composed so I don't get worked up and allow things to fall apart. Volleyball is fun, and I take it very serious. I like being on the court with my teammates and have a lot of fun, but I just don't like to show it," said Cruz.

Even though UTPA has struggled through the first half of the season, the Lady Broncs' lineup has benefited from having Cruz back on the court. She's been a perfect example of how to overcome adversity so it's only a matter of moments before she'll help UTPA right the ship and get back on the winning course.

That's why Cruz and the human skeleton can both be used as models.

The biggest difference arises when one shows how the human body works while the other points out what the human body can do when it uses a lot of heart.

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