A good leader is one who can be different things for her team at different times. Maybe that’s why Lisa Beauchene fits into the role so perfectly for the Sacramento State volleyball team.

On one hand, Beauchene serves as the team’s leader on the court. The offense runs through her, wins and losses depend largely on the decisions she makes.

“I’ve got to be aware of the entire game, every player. I’ve got to make adjustments when I see where their hitters and blockers are lined up,” Beauchene said. “It’s a big responsibility.”

On the other hand, she’s the team’s co-captain, which has less to do with her performance on the court than it does with the influence she has on her teammates off of it.

“Off the court I try to be there for the younger players who might have questions or for anyone else on the team who might have a problem,” Beauchene said. “I try to be a friend to everybody.”

Beauchene has been a first team All-Big Sky selection over the last two seasons and has won the Big Sky Conference Tournament MVP two of the last three years.

“She’s well liked by her teammates,” head coach Debby Colberg said. “She’s very even tempered and she does a good job of leading by example.”

That example can be a tough one to follow if you’re another member of the Sac State volleyball team.

She was named to the all-tournament teams in all four preseason tournaments this year and holds the school’s season and career records for hitting percentage.

Although most setters can easily be overlooked by casual observers, Beauchene warrants attention because she is a threat offensively. She has posted seven triple-doubles this year and is near the top of the conference in assists and hitting percentage.

Still, it’s the ability to mix leadership with performance that stands out the most.Beauchene was not able to get into the flow offensively in Saturday’s match against Idaho State. After one game, she had only two kills.

It was at that point when she changed her gameplan. She had 19 assists over the next two games and put teammate Jennifer Ferguson on track to a career-high 13 kills and a .500 hitting percentage.

As the contest got more competitive, she turned to the rest of her teammates on several occasions and simply clapped a few times, urging them to stay focused.Eventually, while picking and choosing her opportunities, Beauchene ended the match just two kills short of yet another triple-double.

“As a setter, you have to keep your head about you,” Colberg said. “You’re making split-second decisions out there. Setters can make or break your team.”

It’s a lot of pressure, but pressure is nothing new to Beauchene, who led her team to several league and district titles at Fife High School, as well as the Washington State AA championship in 1996.

Ironically, she nearly took her skills to one of Sac State’s biggest rivals, Eastern Washington University. Her major at the time was the key to her choosing to leave her hometown of Auburn, Wash.

“I wanted to do nursing,” Beauchene said. “I knew Sac had a good nursing program and that their volleyball program was successful, so I chose to come here.”

Since then, her major has changed, but her approach to the game has not.”Every time I go out there, I compare myself to the other (team’s) setter,” Beauchene said. “I want to make better decisions than she does and make sure she doesn’t beat me.”

If the last two matches are any indication, in which Beauchene has topped her opponents in assists by a combined 71-51, her approach is working.

As she enters the stretch run of her college career, Beauchene has tried to see that some of her philosophy rub off on her team.

“I want to be known as someone who was fun to play with and who challenged her teammates to be better,” Beauchene said. “Confidence and competitiveness are two of the biggest things you can have. The more confident and competitive you are, the better you play.”

Beauchene has tried to keep her options open after graduation. She has an interest in apparel marketing and design and is thinking about pursuing a job as a buyer.

She might decide to continue her volleyball career in an outdoor program in the South.

She is also considering a career in coaching. Listen to her for long enough and it becomes clear how fitting that choice would be.