The six-foot junior serves on the Penguin Student-Athlete Advisory Committee and led the Penguins in blocked shots last season. A business administration major in Dominican's Honors Program who was named to the Dean's List, Rains is also a member of the Pacific West Conference's All-Academic Team.

Rains' talents, however, extend beyond volleyball and the classroom. She's coaching flag football.

Football?

Rains played tackle for three years as the first female in the Pop Warner football program in Placerville, Calif. She started at offensive tackle, tight end, and outside linebacker. Her father, Randy, was a defensive tackle at Sacramento State. Her brother, Connor, is an offensive tackle at the University of Wyoming. Her other brother, Clay, played football at the United States Military Academy Preparatory School.

Rains gave up football in seventh grade for a new love — volleyball.  In high school, she blossomed into an all-star player, a two-time team captain who competed in the Junior Olympics.

Yet Rains' interests bound beyond the volleyball and basketball court. While at Ponderosa High, Rains worked for the Pink Ribbon Breast Cancer Fund whose program benefits Placerville by providing free mammograms and assisting families that are battling cancer. Rains' family has an extensive history of cancer, from her grandparents and great grandfather to her aunt.  Her club volleyball coach was a cancer survivor.

Entering her junior year of high school Rains, through the Side-out Foundation's national Dig Pink program, organized a cancer research fundraiser for the volleyball team. However, because of her desire to have fundraising dollars dedicated locally, the next year Rains organized her own "Think Pink" event for the entire school and community. She spearheaded a "Ponderosa Spirit Day" with all fundraising earmarked to local cancer-fighting agencies. Rains has since continued her cause at Dominican.

"I set a very high standard for myself," she says. "I feel bad if I don't put 100 percent effort into something and that goes for everything. I'm passionate."

Her desire to coach flag football at Dominican took a little more convincing. Last year, she approached Athletics staff members Patrick Huser and and Lorel Grande, who oversee the sports camps, about coaching volleyball for them. Huser asked Rains if she could coach any other sports in the camp. She suggested flag football.

"It was incredible what she knew about football," Huser says. "I was blown away."

The program was an instant hit.  Rains, in fact, drafted the only girl camper who signed up for flag football, then designed plays for her to score touchdowns.

"Sam was so good," Huser says. "She is a great person with a wonderful personality and leadership skills."

Rains says she is merely passing on the fun and fundamentals she learned when she was about the same age as the kids attending summer sports camps at Dominican. She is glad to help, as usual, mentoring youngsters who look for guidance and role models, striving to improve while enjoying the experience.

"They should have fun," Rains says. "They should enjoy their youth."

That goes for everything. From volleyball to football.

Dominican Sports Camps run weekly now through August 10 for kids ages 7-12 and start at just $295 per week. Sports offered include volleyball, flag (non-contact) football, basketball, lacrosse, soccer, tennis, and multi-sports. Click here for more information, and to register.