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Taylor Formico was determined to beat her three brothers, two older and one younger, in any sport growing up.She threw fastball after fastball in her backyard batting cage trying to match their speed. She went toe-to toe with them in weekly soccer games and sprinting races. She even tried to bounce the highest on the familys trampoline, competing for the best backflips and front flips.When she was 5, she watched her brothers climb a 10-foot tetherball post in the backyard. Formico huffed and puffed, falling short each time. But she kept climbing.I stayed up all night until 3 a.m., until I climbed to the top, Formico said. I screamed for my mom in the middle of the night. She was angry I was out there, but I had to have proof.Formico, now a 5-foot-7 senior libero for No. 9 UCLA (9-1 overall), doesnt know any other gear than overdrive. Shes usually the one screaming, high-fiving and jumping up and down for her teammates or flying around the volleyball court for an epic dig.She is the absolute heart of our team, senior outside hitter Jordan Anderson said.Just ask Formicos cousin, three-time Olympic gold medalist Kerri Walsh Jennings: Shes just relentless, Walsh Jennings said. Shell run through fire or a brick wall to get a ball up for her team.Not even a torn labrum in her hip could keep Formico, the 2015 Pac-12 Libero of the Year and an American Volleyball Coaches Association third-team All-America selection, off the court.Playing hurt for the past three seasons, she didnt miss a game, a weight-lifting session, a conditioning session or a team meeting -- even when she had to Uber to campus because it was too painful to walk, even when she had to punch her hip in practice to push through a practice drill, even when her leg went numb during games.Formico, whose 554 digs (sixth most in Bruins history) led UCLA to the Sweet 16 last season, kept the injury a secret. She didnt want anyone to feel sorry for her.For her, it wasnt even an issue. It wasnt even worth talking about, UCLA coach Michael Sealy said. For her it was, Dont even show me compassion with this thing. This is just the way it is, and were going.Its always been that way for Formico.Inspired by Walsh Jennings, Formico dreamed of playing at the highest levels of the game. But few colleges recruited the Saratoga, California, native, partially because of her size, Formico said, and because shed have to transition from her natural position at setter to libero, and she didnt have any experience playing the latter.Her whole career, because of her size, shes had to struggle to get people to recognize how good she really was. It drove her, said her father, Mike. Shes constantly proving herself, even today.Former UC Santa Barbara coach Kathy Gregory offered her a spot. Formico accepted before looking at any other schools.[Gregory] helped me embrace my passion, Formico said. Sometimes its like, Youre too crazy, or, Youre too fiery, but she really embraced and loved my passion and my fight. Shes all about heart.Formico made a seamless transition to libero for the Gauchos in 2012, leading the nation with 792 digs (5.87 per set) en route to AVCA West Region Freshman of the Year honors.She pulled it off because she trained harder than anyone, Gregory said. Practice would be over and shed still want more reps. She came in on weekends. If she could train 10 hours a day, she would.Gregory ended her 38-year tenure at UCSB after Formicos rookie season. Formico was devastated -- Gregory was the one who believed in her, who took a chance on her.Formico wasnt sure if she wanted to keep playing.The more she thought about it, the more she realized she wanted to challenge herself and play at a higher level. Transferring to UCLA would fill that craving; she had always dreamed of playing in the Pac-12.But she was nervous, even intimidated, during her first few practices at UCLA in 2014. She was surrounded by women who were former top-10, blue-chip recruits, women who had been recruited straight out of high school. Formico knew her path was different, and she knew she could play -- but did she belong there?She battled the incumbent libero, Karly Drolson, for the starting spot. The first one to arrive to practice and the last to leave, Formico eventually earned the starting nod.She wanted to prove to everyone and even herself that she could play at this level, Drolson said. That girl will never give up. She just worked her butt off.Formico flourished, leading the Bruins in digs per set (3.90) and ranking third in aces (16), posting double-figure digs in 27 matches in 2014.Upping her game even more the next season, when she was recognized as the Pac-12s best libero in 2015, Formico became the 23rd Bruin to reach 1,000 career digs. She posted a career-high 35 digs against Arizona.Her ability to keep the ball in play and keep it up, to take so much passing and defensive responsibility, coaches in the Pac-12, they have a game plan for her, Sealy said. They dont do that too often with back-row players.She not only makes the steady, consistent play, but she makes the wow plays, too, Sealy said. Someone will make an amazing hit and she comes flying in to dig, and it really sucks the life out of the sail of the other team.Formico is off to a fast start for the Bruins, who have suffered just one loss this season, against San Diego. Posting double-figure digs in each of the teams 10 matches, Formico notched a season-high 28 digs against Pepperdine on Sept. 13.Formico enters Wednesdays match against crosstown rival USC, ranked 21st, with 1,193 digs as a Bruin, which is now ninth all time. She is 21 away from eighth.Formico now has amassed 1,985 digs for her career, including her time at UCSB, and likely will pass surpass 2,000 against the Trojans.But if you ask Formico, shell probably tell you she has much more to work on to elevate her game. She pulls up game film on her cell phone almost immediately after games are over, dissecting each set, each play and each mistake she made with a focus that is almost obsessive.She was somebody that wasnt even on most peoples radars, Gregory said. Its not always the superstars that make it. Its someone that wanted it more than someone else, and had something to prove. NFL Jerseys 2020 Paypal . Ivanovic was leading 7-5, 1-0 when Hantuchova withdrew after falling 0-40 behind in the second game. The match started slowly for Ivanovic, who surrendered her first two serves as Hantuchova took a 5-3 lead. NFL Jerseys 2020 . -- An ugly goal by Nick Bonino helped the Anaheim Ducks overcome the defensive-minded Phoenix Coyotes on a night when their ragged power play continued to struggle. https://www.nfljerseys2020.com/ . Thousands of fans at Mosaic Stadium will be cozying up to each other in an effort to stay warm in chilly temperatures and block the Prairie wind that locals say can knock your socks off. Discount NFL Jerseys 2020 . 10 Texas A&Ms offence dominated as usual against SMU. Stitched NFL Jerseys . Anthony Calvillo, through 20 CFL seasons, was frequently invincible and largely stoic in the heat of competition. But underneath the professional exterior he was, and is, compellingly human. Its no surprise for NASCAR that no matter the aero package, racing surface and tires make a huge difference on the quality of racing. It seems so silly mentioning it because its so obvious.In the context of what fans saw Saturday night at Kentucky Speedway, it raises the question of how much did NASCAR learn about its prospective 2017 package over the 267 laps? Repaves always present challenges, so everyone knew heading into the race that the surface would feature primarily one-groove racing. After Goodyear had issues with tires in the test a month prior to the race, it changed to a harder tire to make sure that teams didnt have a wealth of blowouts from blistering.So no one should have expected the great race that Kentucky put on a year ago when NASCAR first introduced a reduced-downforce package. NASCAR brought its proposed 2017 aero package to Kentucky with a smaller spoiler, a smaller front splitter and no rear skew.NASCAR opted to bring this package because of the repave. With so much new already, why not throw in other new elements and see what the potential of that package would be for next year?Martin Truex Jr. proved that with a great car, passing can happen. But several drivers appeared stuck in the parade.The new rules package makes them harder to drive and requires a lot more precision as a race car driver, and I can appreciate that about the race, race winner Brad Keselowski said. Were still facing and fighting the same dilemmas in our sport of the lead car having a significant advantage over other cars in the field, but that advantage seemed to go from maybe on a 1-to-10 scale, from an 8 to a 6 or a 7 here, which I think is good.But until the track widens out and gets multiple grooves, I honestly think this is the best race youre going to see on a repave.NASCAR doesnt plan on using the proposed 2017 package again this year but it will have discussion within the industry. Officials dont want teams working on two separate packages at the same time, and the charter agreements require them to get the 2017 rules package done earlier than in the past. NASCAR hopes to have the 2017 rules set next month.There would be some incentive to use the 2017 package again in late August at Michigan, which was the site of the first experiment of the 2017 package in June. Using it again would help Goodyear have more tire data as teams evolve their cars to go along with the rules. However, using the 2016 package would provide a data comparison of 2017 rules vs. the 2016 rules at the same track. And the Michigan race comes with just three races left before the Chase, and that throws a twist that NASCAR apparently isnt willing to entertain as it would also potentially delay decisions on the 2017 rules.Well go back and well sort of reconvene with the drivers and the owners and the [manufacturers] and decide where were going, NASCAR senior vice president Scott Miller said. Were open to a lot of different options, and if something like that bubbles up and we have industry support for it, nothing right now is out of the question.One thing that I think we wont do is change the Chase around. Well stick to our guns and run the regular 2016 package in the Chase races.For the drivers on the bubble tryiing to get into the Chase, that probably would be best for them.dddddddddddd They know what they are getting into each week.If you take me to Texas with the tire we have there and a worn out old race track and a softer tire or a tire that gets grip into the track, [we] would probably love this type of package, said Dale Earnhardt Jr., who sits 13th in the standings. But its just a bad combination for the new surface and how conservative that tire is.? I mean you couldnt hustle the car at all.Xfinity Series: Wallace rebounds for fifthRoush Fenway Racing driver Darrell Wallace Jr. was $15,000 lighter in the wallet after being fined for a tweet referring to NASCAR officials as muppets and indicating they didnt react well under pressure at Daytona.He encouraged fans who wanted to help with his fine to instead donate to flood victims in West Virginia, an attempt to have something good come out of his fine and also put it behind him.Wallace knew it would be easier to put it behind him with a strong performance at Kentucky, which he accomplished by finishing fifth. After two top-10s in his first nine races, Wallace has four top-10s, including two top-5s, in the last seven races.At ninth in points, he has a comfortable 76-point cushion on the current Chase cutoff with 10 races left before the inaugural Xfinity Chase field is set.[Roush Fenway has] been really hitting on some stuff on the Cup side and its kind of trickling down to the Xfinity shop, so we just have to keep taking notes and keep trying things, Wallace said. I say we need to win because its getting close to Chase time, but we still have some time to tweak and tune some stuff.Kyle Busch won the race Friday, his fifth win of the season.Camping World Truck Series: KBM sets markKyle Busch Motorsports set the record for the most wins for an organization in the Camping World Truck Series with 51, eclipsing the previous mark of 50 by Roush Fenway Racing.KBMs William Byron, with his fourth win of the season, put KBM alone at the top spot.Busch -- who won the first race for the organization in April 2010 at Nashville -- has 29 of the wins with Erik Jones (seven), Wallace (five), Byron (four), Denny Hamlin (two), Christopher Bell (two), Kasey Kahne (one) and Brian Scott (one) contributing.There have been five crew chiefs earning the wins: Eric Phillips (28), Rudy Fugle (13), Jerry Baxter (eight), Rick Ren (one) and Shannon Rursch (one).The 51 wins have come at 22 different tracks. Martinsville tops the list with five while KBM has four wins at Charlotte, Texas and Phoenix; three at Chicagoland, Dover, Homestead-Miami, Iowan and Kentucky. It has two wins at Bristol, Eldora, Kansas, New Hampshire, Nashville and Gateway. There is one win at Darlington, Las Vegas, Michigan, Pocono, Talladega, Mosport and Daytona.This is a special moment, Busch said. Its really, really cool. To me, what makes it most special is how weve done it in such a short period of time.From 2010 to 2016, we have gotten 51 wins and for the many teams weve excelled ahead of that have been around a lot longer than we have, this is pretty awesome. ' ' '