Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: THURSDAY, December 16, 1993 TAG: 9312150144
SECTION: HIGH SCHOOL SPORTS PAGE: NRV-3 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
SOURCE: M.J. DOUGHERTY STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: BLACKSBURG LENGTH: Long
Or will Christiansburg break through and end the Indians' recent hold on the New River District?
Will this finally be the year when Floyd County reaches the state tournament?
And how much will success on the basketball court last fall translate into volleyball victories?
These and an assortment of other questions will be answered between now and February as the high school girls volleyball season unfolds in the New River and Mountain Empire Districts.
The regular season has begun and district play moves into full swing right after the new year begins.
The New River tournament is Feb. 9-10, 1994 at the district regular-season champion. The Group AA Region IV tournament is Feb. 19 at Blacksburg.
The Mountain Empire tournament is Feb. 12, 1994, at Fort Chiswell High School. And for the first time it will include all district teams. The Group A Region C tournament is tentatively scheduled for Feb. 19 at a Pioneer District school.
The state tournaments for both classifications begin Feb. 22 with quarterfinals hosted by regional champions. The semifinals and finals are Feb. 25-26 at Waynesboro High School.
A team-by-team run examination follows, beginning with the New River District. Teams are listed in the order in which they finished in their respective leagues last season.
\ BLACKSBURG (1st in NRD in 1992-93) went to the Group AA state tournament for the second time in three seasons last year. The Indians (17-7) lost to the eventual state champions Gretna in the quarterfinals. That experience has them thinking of making that trip again.
"I'd like to win state," said senior Samantha Burton. " I think it [the season] would be a success if we went to state."
The biggest reason for those high expectations is a experienced club that returns five starters and three other players who saw playing time last year.
"I think we're looking pretty good," said senior Jackie Tront. "Last year we were pretty young. This year, we've matured a lot. I think we'll do pretty well."
Five starters return from last year: hitters Meredith Braine, a 5-foot-11 senior, and Tront, a 5-6 senior; middle blocker Burton, a 5-9 senior; setter/hitter Mary Thorn, a 5-6 senior; and setter Billie Guthrie, a 5-6 junior.
Others back include Lisa Price, a 5-9 junior middle blocker; Beth Anderson, a 5-4 senior setter; and Heather Stockburger, a 6-0 senior front row specialist.
Newcomers include front row specialists Amy Mathena, a 5-9 senior, and Brook Porter, a 5-9 junior, and back row specialist April Rogers, a 5-4 sophomore.
Then there is the state tournament factor. The volleyball team qualified for state play last year. Meanwhile, the basketball team has won back-to-back state titles. Six members of this year's team are playing volleyball and first-year coach Grant Smythers is the basketball assistant.
"I think it will make a lot of difference starting off," said Braine, a major college prospect in volleyball and one of half a dozen basketball team members switching sports with the season. "We, as a team, enjoy working together. And that [the past experiences] is only going to help."
And if they capture the state tournament, Smythers has already made his promise to the team.
"I shaved it once," said Smythers, pointing to the now bare sides of his head. "I wouldn't mind doing it again."
\ CHRISTIANSBURG (2nd in the NRD) is a lot like Blacksburg, the team it hopes to oust as New River champion.
The Blue Demons have five starters back. Those players gained post-season experience last season in the Region IV tournament where they lost in the semifinals to eventual regional champion Gate City.
And five players, including three of the returning starters, got another taste of winning during basketball season as Christiansburg won the district tournament and made it to the regionals for the first time since 1986.
The Demons also possess another important quality for a volleyball team - height for hitting and blocking.
"We're strong up front with a front line that will have two six-footers and a 5-10 person," said coach Lisa Holland. "We're going to start out with a lot of height on the front line and take advantage of that early in the game."
Supplying the height are returning hitter/middle blocker Rebecca McNeil, a 6-0 senior; hitter Carrie Simmons, a 5-10 senior; and hitter Crystal Moles, a 6-0 sophomore and a reserve last year.
Their ranks will be strengthened by two other hitters, 5-8 senior Lori Wilson and 5-10 junior Maureen Jackson, who played on the junior varsity last year.
The setters for Christiansburg will be a pair of seniors: 5-2 Amy Powell and 4-11 Renee Goncz.
\ RADFORD (4th in the NRD) also has five starters back, including four seniors, as it looks to improve in the New River.
The starters back include a quartet of seniors: 5-10 setter/hitter Cathy Richardson, 5-11 hitter Leslie Nester; 5-10 hitter Ashleigh Funk; and 5-8 hitter Jennie Kopf.
Stephanie Smith, a 5-4 sophomore, also returns to help handle the setting duties.
"Experience hopefully can come through us this year; it's going to be the third year Leslie and Cathy have played for me," said coach Debbie Carlson. "I think if the girls can get some confidence in themselves, we can have a good season."
Newcomers include Robin Carroll, a 5-8 sophomore hitter up from the junior varsity, and Charlee Taylor, 5-4 freshman setter/back row specialist.
\ FLOYD COUNTY (1st in the MED in 1992-93) hopes its experience and experiences will enable it to overcome a late start. Because nine of 13 varsity players are also on the basketball team, practice didn't get under way until after the basketball team won the Group A state title.
"They're pumped up and ready to play," said coach April Underwood, who is also an assistant coach on the basketball team.
The Buffaloes have three starters back: hitters Lynette Nolley, a 6-1 senior; Brennen O'Neill, a 6-0 senior; and Susan Whalen, a 5-8 senior.
Other returnees include setter Leigh-Ann Pursifull, a 5-7 junior; setter Laura Harman, a 5-10 junior; and hitter Cherie Quesenberry, a 5-11 senior.
And the lineup will be bolstered by the addition of several players from the junior varsity, including Melissa Cantrell, a 5-7 sophomore back row specialist, and Carrie Chaffin, a 6-1 junior hitter.
"I think we'll do well, though the Mountain Empire is getting more competitive," said Underwood. "I'd like to be able to spend a couple of weeks on fundamentals. But we have to start working on offense and defense. Basketball has the advantage of having that [extra practice] time in August."
\ NARROWS (3rd in MED) hopes it can use its height advantage to reach the top of the Mountain Empire.
"Our height will be our strength," said coach Erin Wood. "It's hard to say because we always had strong setting last year and now we have a lot of hitters. I think we'll work around that. I think the setters will work with the hitters."
The Green Wave have five players 5-9 or taller. That includes two returning starters: 5-11 senior middle blocker Billie Lucas and 5-10 hitter/middle blocker Melinda Fleeman. Other players providing height include 5-9 senior hitter Jennifer Martin, 5-9 sophomore setter/hitter Melissa Lawrence, and 5-10 freshman hitter Suzanne Webb.
The other returning starters are a pair of seniors: 5-8 hitter Jessica Sokol and 5-7 setter Sarah Kellam. Also back is 5-6 junior Lisa Ross, a back row specialist.
Crissy Midkiff, a 5-6 sophomore setter, and Melissa Lucas, a 5-7 hitter, are expected to provide Narrows with strong depth.
\ AUBURN (4th in MED) has both the height and experience - although not all in the same players - to challenge for the Mountain Empire title.
And the Eagles know how to beat Floyd County after knocking it off in the district tournament semifinals last season before losing in the finals to Grayson County.
That mixture should serve Auburn well.
"Since we're so tall, we hope to [get] a lot of blocks and play tough defense," said coach Angela Quensberry. "We have excellent setters and will do well in our 6-2 [two-setter] coverage. And all the girls serve excellently. They can pick a spot on the floor and nail it.
Providing the experience are 5-6 senior hitter Kelly McPeak; 5-7 junior hitter Lori Lyons; and 5-5 junior setter/hitter Sherry Smith.
Providing the height are a pair of 5-11 players who were on the B team (the equivalent of a junior varsity) last year: sophomore setter/hitter Amy Davis and freshman hitter Deanna Dickerson.
And providing more court coverage will be setter/hitter Angie Simpkins, a 5-4 senior playing volleyball for the first time, and Danielle Blankenship, a 5-6 junior setter who was on the B team last season.
\ SHAWSVILLE (5th in the MED) hopes its experience and its basketball success will help them enter the upper division of the Mountain Empire.
"The defense is strong and we've got good servers and good spikers," said Kenneth Wright, who along with Delores Michael coaches the Shawnees. "That [the basketball success] is the tradition we want to start. For years, girls athletics at Shawsville had been down. Now the girls basketball team is doing well. Hopefully, that can have an impact on volleyball."
Many of the players had the experience of helping Shawsville win a regional basketball game for the first time ever.
And seven returning seniors have the experience of seeing a lot of action last season: The returnees include seven seniors: setters Amy Roberts, 5-3, and Lisa Woods, 5-10; hitters, Missy Flight, 5-2; Kelley Ryan, 5-4; Wendy Chriscoe, 5-5; and Laura Neily, 5-8; and 5-9 setter/hitter Missy Johnson.
Also back is 5-6 junior hitter Robin Burdette.
Augmenting the lineup will be newcomer Vanessa Wilson, a 5-8 junior setter.
\ GILES (tied for 6th in MED) is one of the teams that should most benefit from the Mountain Empire expanding its tournament to include all district teams.
"We're real young and it's real early in the season," said coach Neil Schmidt. "Our defense is our strength - and our attitude. "We don't let any ball hit the ground without someone out after it. And that's the only way we can play with our lack of height."
The Spartans have six returnees, including four seniors. But none is over 5-8 and several have been primarily been used as specialists in previous seasons.
Back are Kelly Davis, a 5-7 senior hitter; Holly Litchford, a 5-8 senior setter; Velvet Francis, a 5-6 junior setter/hitter; and a trio of back row players: 5-6 senior Crystal Snider, 5-6 senior Alma Vandegrift, and 5-3 junior Tonia Short.
Newcomer Gina Claytor, a 5-10 sophomore, is expected to add height to the Giles lineup.
by CNB