This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2015, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.

Given that she's tried almost every sport out there, and excelled at everything she's tried, it should gladden the hearts of Brighton volleyball coach Adam Fernandez and the volleyball staff at the University of Utah that it's their specialty that Dani Barton mentions first in a list of favorites.

That might be a surefire indication that volleyball has become Barton's top priority.

"Right, or that's the season she's in at the moment," said Fernandez.

Either way, Fernandez is glad to have Barton swinging away for the Bengals this season. The 6-foot junior didn't see much time on the volleyball court in 2014 as she was nursing back to health a broken arm.

"Without a doubt, I would say she's the best female athlete in the state," Fernandez said. "She's shown that just with her involvement in basketball."

Last spring, with her arm healed but an ankle hobbled during a first-round injury at the state hoops tournament, Barton — noticeably limping for the ensuing rounds — was able to play an integral role in leading Brighton to the 5A championship, and subsequently was named a member of the All-Tribune Team.

Now completely healthy, Barton is pounding the ball down from her outside hitting position on the Bengals' volleyball squad.

But Barton recognizes that volleyball is different from basketball in that one person can't carry a team to the same heights. While Brighton may have one of the best hitters in Class 5A, the youthful Bengals are still trying to force their way into the elite of that classification.

"I feel like [volleyball] is a lot more team-reliant. You can be a great hitter and stuff, but if you don't have a good setter or good passers you can't really do anything with that," Barton said. "In basketball, if you're the best player, you just need the ball in your hands."

On Tuesday, Brighton will carry a still-unbeaten record in Region 3 against Bingham. That contest will also feature Barton and her close friend, Miners senior Torre Glasker, trying to match each other kill-for-kill.

Both Barton and Glasker are committed to play volleyball for the University of Utah — Glasker starting next year and Barton the year after.

Last season, Barton could only watch for the majority of the high school volleyball season as she had broken her arm while riding an ATV on the family ranch near Duchesne.

"That was hard. It hurt her team and it was really hard for her," said Mikki Kane-Barton, Dani's mother.

"It's kind of the life of a sports person, but you usually get hurt on the court. She happened to do it, well, not that way," she added with a small laugh. "She was riding the car around and, instead of using the brake, she tried to use her arm to stop it — and it didn't fare well with her bones."

Mikki Kane-Barton and Dani's father, Paul Barton, both excelled in sports at the University of Utah — Mikki at both basketball and volleyball and Paul at football and baseball.

Dani's older brothers, Jackson and Cody, are currently in the Utes' football program.

For Dani Barton, it's still high school for a couple more years. But the focus is starting to change for the gifted athlete as she's now taking on more of a leadership role.

"That changed just this year. When she broke her arm, that was one of those things that was pretty disastrous at the time. But it's actually been great for her," Fernandez said. "Having had to sit out a season, I think it helped her realize how great it is to be able to play and how precious it is.

"Since her broken arm, she caught up emotionally to where she was physically. She was physically gifted last year, but emotionally she was a 10th-grade girl," the Brighton coach added. "After the broken arm, she's without a doubt one of our team leaders. Our libero, Hannah Stearman, and Dani are the captains and they are, for sure, the leaders of our team."

And, even for someone as athletic as Barton, there's still physical improvement to be made on the volleyball court — especially since her main exposure to volleyball for several years was in the arena of sand, or beach, volleyball.

"I'm still working on some stuff and I've still got a ways to go, but I'm improving," Barton said. —

Two-sport star

Brighton's Dani Barton is dominant in two sports. In basketball, she earned All-Tribune honors as a sophomore after averaging 19 ppg, 10 rpg and 6 apg in leading the Bengals to their first title since 2004. In volleyball, she earned a scholarship offer from USC's top-ranked beach volleyball program, but ultimately committed to Utah's hard-court team.