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Two hours into the second practice of the season in early August, USC volleyball coach Mick Haley stopped a drill. He walked over to 5-foot-10 freshman libero Raegan LeGrand, the reigning Gatorade Nebraska volleyball player of the year.This isnt Nebraska Juniors, Haley said, flashing a wide smile, referring to LeGrands club team. LeGrand had been taught to pass to the right side of the court; Haley wanted her to pass to the middle. This is USC.LeGrand, hailing from Papillion, an Omaha suburb with a population of less than 25,000 that has produced volleyball royalty like Allison Weston, Gina Mancuso and Amber and Kadie Rolfzen, is used to the Nebraska jokes. Her classmates often ask her if she rode cows to school or grew corn in her backyard.LeGrand, a California girl at heart who loves palm trees and the ocean -- she went swimming with sharks at age 11 and dolphins at age 12 -- nodded her head four times to Haley. Youre right. Got it, coach, she said, perfecting the pass the next possession.Welcome-to-college-ball moments are rare for LeGrand, who brings skilled defense, passing and hustle to the defending co-Pac-12 champion Trojans, ranked No. 7 nationally.Shes solid as a rock, Haley said.Shell be a leader on this team way earlier than most people, Haley said. Shell fight like heck to be out there and help us win.For most of her life, LeGrand had to scratch and claw to earn roles on elite teams. Her mentality? Fate Loves the Fearless, which came from a white and blue LeBron James shirt she received when she was 12.Its almost like karma, you get what you put into it, LeGrand said of the meaning behind the quote. Fate rewards those who go through life taking risks and pursuing things.LeGrand was 5 when she began playing with 12-year-olds. She didnt blink twice; all she wanted to do was be near a net, no matter who was on the other side of it.At that point, I dont even think I understood intimidation, LeGrand said. It was just fun.When she was 12, a seventh-grader, LeGrand tried out for Nebraska Juniors 15s, a club team stacked with future Division I players.Her mother, Alyssa, kept her age a secret.Alyssa, flipping through magazines in the corner of the gym, was approached by a few of the coaches. They wanted to let me know up front: She may not make the team, she may not play, said Alyssa, a former high school coach, and a former Midland University player, who used to take 6-month-old Raegan to her practices in a carrier.I dont care, Alyssa told the club coaches. She wants to experience this. She wants to train.LeGrand became the youngest player to make the team. Though she rarely rose from the bench, she kept working. A few tournaments in, she morphed into the starting right side.She doesnt get shaken, Alyssa said. Whatever the challenge is, shes all in.The stakes rose even higher for LeGrand as a freshman on Papillion-LaVista South High Schools varsity team in 2012, then one of the top teams in the country. The loaded squad of mostly seniors, including the Rolfzen twins and Kelly Hunter, was riding a near 90-game win streak.They had high goals, said former Papillion-LaVista South coach Gwen Egbert, now coach at Doane University. Raegan had to be on point right off the bat.But the rookie found herself glued to the bench. She clapped, stomped and cheered for her teammates, but wanted more.My mom goes, Its so awesome you made varsity, LeGrand said. And Im sitting there like, No. I want to play. Because Im competitive.During the first tournament of the season, Papillion-LaVista South struggled to pass in the first set against Western Christian (Hull, Iowa). LeGrand remembers Egbert, also her long-time club coach, turning to her: Im tired of the libero not getting to the ball! Raegan, go in there! Dont mess up!LeGrand had never played libero before. She had never played in front of hundreds of people before.But she was calm.Her poised passing and defense ignited Papillion-LaVista South to victory. She earned the starting nod. The streak lived on. The team went on to win the Nebraska state championship.LeGrand morphed into an All-American at outside hitter, and she was named the Gatorade volleyball player of the year and the MaxPreps.com No. 1-ranked player from Nebraska as a senior in 2015.Though recruited by the reigning national-champion Cornhuskers, LeGrand had dreamed of playing in sunny California since she was a young girl, inspired by her cousin, Gabi Ailes, an all-conference libero for Stanford in 2010.Haley, who hadnt yet seen LeGrand play, received a phone call from Creighton volleyball coach Kirsten Bernthal Booth. She said, Theres a kid in Nebraska here that I love, Haley recalled. She cant play for me. Shes too good. You need to see her.LeGrand visited USC during spring of her sophomore year. She said she liked that Haley said he couldnt make any promises and that expectations would be high.If Haley had told her she needed to dance in a tutu in front of the entire student body while juggling five tennis balls and run 10 miles afterward for a chance to suit up for the Trojans -- she probably probably would have done it.Plus, year-round sunshine without humidity? No snow? No coat required?I told my mom, If Im not going here, Im not going to play college volleyball, LeGrand said.Returning home, LeGrand took a Sharpie and wrote on her wall aspects of her game to improve on in order to play for USC. She devoured books on mental toughness, like Mind Gym, The Hard Hat and The Energy Bus. She meditated on the floor of her room.Most in Papillion were supportive of her choice, though a few were disappointed she didnt choose Nebraska. She wanted to spread her wings, Alyssa said. She said, I gotta go do this. I gotta go try it in California. Now as a freshman at USC among a squad of 10 upperclassmen, LeGrand once again must prove herself.This is her first time playing libero since her freshman season in high school. With senior Taylor Whittingham and sophomore Victoria Garrick at her position, her goal, she said, is to contribute any way she can and continue to get better every day.Fate Loves the Fearless ... Fate Loves the Fearless ... Fate Loves the Fearless ... she often whispers to herself during practice.Shes one of those kids I think you can trust. Theyll always play as hard as they can play, Haley said. Theyll always make the people next to them better. Those kinds of people are tough to find. Ecco Baratas .Y. - Jerome Samson scored once in regulation and again in the shootout as the St. Tienda De Zapatos Ecco . -- Most satisfying to Russ Smith about No. http://www.eccobaratas.es/ . The veteran safety was a starter for the Bengals from 2008-2012. He totaled 41 tackles and three interceptions while starting all but four of the 13 games he played last season. Zapatos Ecco España . The 26-year-old Ireland striker, who has four goals this season, has signed a three-and-a-half year contract with his new club. Ecco Outlet España . Arsenal failed to take full advantage of its main rivals stumbles on Saturday as substitute Gerard Deulofeu levelled with a hard shot from a tight angle in the 84th minute to give Everton a deserved point. Ahead of a crucial fortnight that will see them play against Napoli in the Champions League, Manchester City and Chelsea, Arsenal leads by five points ahead of Liverpool and Chelsea.Barcelona host Real Madrid on Saturday evening in the hotly-anticipated Clasico. Luis Enriques La Liga leaders thrashed their arch rivals at the Bernabeu 4-0 earlier this season and will aim to do the double over Los Blancos to maintain their push for back-to-back Spanish titles.But Zinedine Zidanes men will be out for revenge - so who will come out on top? From BBC v MSN to Real Madrids defence, Guillem Balague looks at the five issues which will decide the Clasico...1. Marcelo v Dani AlvesOffensively speaking, Marcelo has possibly been Real Madrids most influential player this season, which is saying something when you consider he is officially a full-back.But its precisely this unpredictable, gung-ho, swash-buckling, up and at em approach to the game - an approach that sees him plough down the wing, sometimes in midfield, other times up front - that has been used to great effect by Real Madrid this season. Real Madrid defender Marcelo is an attacking threat This can of course create its own problems not least because it frequently leaves the Madrid defence short staffed, although he is no slouch in a defensive capacity, particularly on a one-on-one basis, despite being prone to lapses in concentration particularly when defending diagonal balls crossed from the other side of the pitch.This is a problem he shares with Barcelonas Dani Alves, a player cast in a very similar mould with the same attitude to the game and the same potential to be a game-changer.Lately Alves seems to have lost a bit of that amazing engine he used to have and he still doesnt cross the ball with the quality that matches his play leading up to it. He is also slightly more prone to making mistakes than Marcelo and if I had to pick one over the other I would opt for the Real Madrid defender, simply because he is more important to Real than Alves is to Barcelona.2. The BBC v MSN Real Madrids Karim Benzema, Cristiano Ronaldo and Gareth Bale You have to go back to April 2012 and the Mourinho era to find the last time Real Madrid won a league match at the Camp Nou - and its worth remembering that they have never beaten Barcelona when Karim Benzema, Gareth Bale and Cristiano Ronaldo have been on the pitch together. The two sides have met three times with the BBC line up in place, and lost every time.That said, if the rest of the side remains solid and balanced this is a triumvirate that can give any defence - including Barcelonas - sleepless nights. How Barca thrashed Real We look back at Barcelonas big November win at the Bernabeu Occasionally Barcelona - partly out of laziness, partly because theyre pretty good at it - abandon their possession game and look for a more direct box-to-box approach to their opponents goal. Nothing wrong with that, except that it can leave them more vulnerable because they cannot recover the ball so quickly, neither can they work so well as a unit together to regain possession.If that happens it could open the door for Bale and Benzema - probably even more than Cristiano - to exploit the situation. Ronaldo might well be the player to score but in terms of creating something should Barcelona go for this approach, this could be a match tailor made for his two colleagues up front. Ivan Rakitic is a key man in the centre of the pitch for Barcelona Mind you, if youre looking for anyone guaranteed to give just about every defence in the world an attack of the vapours then the Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez, and Neymar combination that Barcelona put out each week stands apart from just about anything on show in football today.With the three amigos up front this is a Barcelona side that frequently lose control of a game, and are happy to do so, safe in the knowledge that eventually the ball will get to one of their three assassins with the result that something is always likely to happen.In terms of firepower available to them this Barcelona sides big guns are bigger than, not just Saturdays opponents, but any opponents, anywhere. If I had to choose I would have the MSN. WATCH: Classic El Clasico Check out highlights from some memorable recent meetings between Spains top two 3. Real Madrid centre-backs and CasemiroIf Barcelona are going to look to control the game a bit more - and bearing in mind they are playing at home so they should certainly be able to do so - then the key to the match could well be the performances of the two centre-backs of Real Madrid and defensive midfielder Casemiro, who will play just in front of them.How they defend against any such onslaughts will be crucial not least because its also safe to assume that for at least some of the time Casemiro will probably be gainfully employed covering Marcelos back as the full-back makes his customary advances into enemy territory.Similarly, he will also have his work cut out covering for Toni Kroos and Luka Moric, should they decide to venture forward as well. Carlos Casemiro (R) could be a key figure on Saturday Casemiro is a long way from being at the level of Sergio Busquets, although to be fair to him, the way Busquets is playing at the moment, who is?What Casemiro does do,, however, is provide the work rate, the perspiration, if not necessarily the inspiration, that this Real Madrid side needs if it is to function anywhere near its best.ddddddddddddPersonally, I dont think he is quite good enough to stay in that position next season and I feel that Madrid will be looking to strengthen in that area sooner rather than later. For now, however, his performance this weekend could be crucial.4. Inside midfielders Luka Modric will try to stop Barcelonas midfield on Saturday In terms of the inside midfielders it is a straight battle between Real Madrids Kroos and Modric on one hand and Barcelonas Andres Iniesta and Ivan Rakitic on the other.Modric is a fine player who always looks to control the game but has all too frequently this season been left to do so on his own.For that Kroos must take his share of the blame because for much of the season he has shown himself to be less effective going forward, too slow in the build up, and below par defensively. He is not having the best of times and I think thats partly because he is not enjoying his football at Madrid.He isnt a number four in front of the defence, which he enjoyed doing at Bayern sometimes, and he also seems to lack the freedom he needs when going forward to make a real impact, not least because he has to cover for the lack of defensive work done by the likes of Cristiano and Benzema. Ivan Rakitic is a key man in the centre of the pitch for Barcelona He looks to me to be a man not too happy in his work. In an ideal world he probably never wanted to leave Bayern Munich and Im sure these days his mind is elsewhere and he is thinking about new projects.Modric of course will have to work his socks off. He was one of the players who defended Rafa Benitez inside the camp but he is mature enough to realise that its now time to move on and in fact he has been saying some very complimentary things about Zinedine Zidane lately.He is the key figure for Madrid in terms of control of the game, but I cant help but feel he wont be able to do it by himself.Rakitic and Iniesta are a perfect fit for Barcelona. When Iniesta is on song, its about as good as you can get from a midfielder. Enrique v Zidane Ahead of El Clasico, we compare the managers records in the big game This season the club has made a conscious decision to use his talents more sparingly with a view to getting the very best from him in major games like this and also for the latter stages of the Champions League campaign that are just around the corner.So far we have seen, occasionally, almost in cameo roles, the best Iniesta ever and he is in the view of some, the best midfielder ever to grace the Nou Camp, which, when you look at some of the other contenders, is saying something.In that vital inside midfield slot he is ably assisted by the excellent Rakitic, who is now adding goals to the work rate he has always provided. He is a man who has readily accepted and fitted into his new role at Barcelona.Rakitics new job requires a huge amount of running and effort, primarily because it comes with the territory with any side that plays such an open game. It is very different to the role he had at Sevilla that saw him as the main instigator of any attacks and the sides true leader.He is having a fantastic season and from an inside midfield point of view this Barcelona side is currently far superior both mentally and tactically. 5. The collective answersSo whats going to happen?Its impossible not to be impressed with a Barcelona side that can switch with such ease from a counter attacking game to one of control via possession.Thats the good news, although I still believe in terms of their tactical levels this is not a side that possess the same acumen required to break down a deep-lying defence that they had during the reign of Pep Guardiola.At times, however, they are so comfortable with the notion of getting the ball up front quickly that they can easily lose control.The plus side of that is the addition to their already varied box of tricks of a number nine in Suarez, who has added this weapon of counter attack to their armoury. From an offensive point of view this is probably the final piece in the jigsaw and what almost certainly makes them, currently, the best side in Europe. Real Madrid lost 4-0 at home to Barcelona in November As for Real Madrid, Zidane started with the idea of keeping control of the ball and recovering it high up the pitch, only to abandon it when it dawned on him that he didnt have the players either capable, willing, or both, to adopt such a game plan.He realises that this means his side now looks to the performances of individuals rather than rely on the team ethic. As a result much of the collective plans envisaged by his predecessor have been sacrificed.The addition of Casemiro, and also on occasions Danilo, means that a modicum of defensive balance can be restored but it remains nonetheless a team that doesnt pressure well, doesnt attack cleverly and doesnt defend as a team either.That is Real Madrids biggest downfall particularly in the big games and thats why I believe Barcelona will maintain their winning record over their main rivals.Watch Barcelona v Real Madrid, live on Sky Sports 1 HD from 7pm on Saturday. Or watch live for £6.99 without a contract, on NOW TV. Also See: How Barca thrashed Real WATCH: Classic El Clasicos WATCH: Top 10 Clasico goals Enrique v Zidane ' ' '