ST. PAULS -- Go ahead. Tell her. Tell Quatina Sinclair that, on a volleyball court, her timing is as shaky as a fledgling comic's.

Let her know you've seen Pepsi machines with more deft lateral movement than she's shown at the net.

Tell her that, if Oliver Stone had volleyball in mind when he cast "Natural Born Killers," she'd have wasted her time auditioning for the role of leading lady.

None of these jabs are deserved. Far from it, even.

Truth is, Sinclair is the top hitter for a tradition-rich St. Pauls volleyball team that's won four of its past five matches and is tied for first place in the Tri-Six Conference standings.

But, as a service to 10th-year Lady Bulldogs coach Harold Johnson, needle Sinclair. Rile her. Challenge her. Get under her skin like a sliver.

Because, when provoked, Sinclair can morph from a quiet, polite honors student into a tightly wound, 5-foot-10 bundle of fireworks.

The Lady Bulldogs (5-5, 3-0 TSC) figure to need a healthy dose of Sinclair's explosiveness this week, when they face the Tri-Six's two other teams unbeaten in conference play. St. Pauls is slated to play at West Bladen tonight and to host defending TSC champion Clinton on Thursday.

"Quatina's such a sweet girl. But, on the court, I don't want her to be so sweet," said Johnson, who has guided St. Pauls to seven conference championships in his 10 seasons. "I've had to meet with her about that.

"When she hits the ball like she's capable of hitting it, she puts us on a whole other level. But, when she doesn't, she puts us at a whole other level. A much lower level.

"I expect a lot from her. I expect her to be a leader."

Johnson's expectations are rooted to the fact Sinclair is the Lady Bulldogs' lone varsity player back from last season, when the team finished 16-5 and advanced to the Class 2-A state playoffs. St. Pauls placed second in the Tri-Six with a 8-2 conference record, with both losses coming to Clinton.

"I have a tendency to be soft sometimes," said Sinclair, who has drawn interest from Fayetteville State University for her volleyball prowess. "I guess going into this year, with all the new people on the team, I tried to be everybody's friend.

"Coach J says I'm too nice. I've gotta take the bull by the horns and be more assertive -- be more of a leader in what I say and do."

Sinclair shares the title of team captain with setter Kim McKinnon. Sinclair and McKinnon are the lone juniors on the Lady Bulldogs' 11-player varsity roster. The other nine are sophomores.

"Experience-wise, I consider Kim McKinnon a sophomore too," Johnson said, "because she broke her foot four matches into her JV season last year and missed the rest of the year."

With McKinnon sidelined, St. Pauls' JV team struggled to a 1-12 record in 2002.

"So many people talked us down last year. But Q.T. wasn't like that," Lady Bulldogs hitter Monet Langford said, referring to Sinclair by her nickname. "She'd come talk to us, tell us to keep our heads up, gave us confidence in ourselves."

That's a role Johnson wants Sinclair to embrace -- with her actions, most notably -- with greater regularity this season.

"In a lot of ways it starts with Quatina," Johnson said. "She's gotta bring her 'A' game to the table every night, or we'll struggle.

"If she's on her game, it's dominoes. When everybody does their job, we can be tough to beat."

Steve Beaudry can be reached at 739-4322, Ext. 118 or by e-mail at robsport@bellsouth.net.