JOHN R. McCUTCHEN / Union-Tribune Granite Hills High senior Tori Taijeron, the Grossmont South League Player of the Year last season, is a voacl leader as the Eagles' captain.

He's a proud father of three, a family man. When he's talking about Tori, his only daughter, listeners might as well pull up a chair and relax.

Manuel will smile at Tori and tell you how the Granite Hills High volleyball star is more than an athlete.

He'll tell you she's an “American Idol,” but no one outside the house will ever know.

He'll tell you how he got Tori involved in track, his favorite sport growing up.

Tori wasn't really interested in track, but she saw a potential benefit.

She remembered how her older brother Travis, a former baseball standout for Granite Hills, made a bet with their dad. When Travis was a sophomore, Manuel said he would pay Travis $1,000 if he led the county in home runs.

Not only did Travis lead the county his senior year, he also ended up shattering Marcus Giles' school record for career home runs. Manuel ended up paying off Travis' motorcycle.

So Tori proposed that she'd run track if she got a similar deal. It started out at $25 for each personal best, but after she set a school record for 100 meters, bigger paydays were merited. Tori was among the San Diego Section's top sprinters last spring with times of 12.24 seconds in the 100 meters and 25.31 in the 200.

“He pays me very good money,” Tori said. “Instead of having a job, running track is my alternative.”

Father and daughter enjoy teaching.

Manuel will tell you about the times they helped with a volleyball clinic for rehab patients. They worked with patients on form and technique, even facilitating tournaments.

This was not a new role for Manuel or Tori.

Manuel, a former semipro football player, has been asked to help out with the Granite Hills football team, but he wants to wait until ri graduates. Tori, the defending Grossmont South League Player of the Year, is the Eagles' captain.

“I'm comfortable with the decisions she makes, and I let her make those decisions on the court,” Granite Hills volleyball coach Dan Santos said. “She knows when to step it up and she knows when to scale it back.”

Teaching, Tori hopes, won't be left on the court. She wants to return to Granite Hills someday as a physical education or English teacher, with a side gig as an interior decorator.

“I really enjoy teaching and coaching. It's fun for me,” Tori said. “I like to be in charge. I like telling (athletes) how to fix what they're doing and helping them so they can get better.”

Maybe Tori's teaching instincts stem from her skill in learning. She has been playing piano for about a year, taking lessons from YouTube videos. She also taught herself to sew.

“Some people are just sports, sports, sports,” Manuel said. “Tori's so much more.”