THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, December 2, 1994 TAG: 9412010194
SECTION: VIRGINIA BEACH BEACON PAGE: 26 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Sports
SOURCE: BY LEE TOLLIVER, BEACON SPORTS EDITOR
LENGTH: Medium: 70 lines
THIS YEAR'S All-Beach District girls volleyball team is a sign of things to come.
In its second year of competition, Beach volleyball is being dominated by younger players - athletes who have been playing in organized leagues at the Tidewater Volleyball Association. Many have Junior Olympic experience.
This year's first team - as voted by the district coaches - consists of five sophomores and only two seniors.
If you missed the action this year, many of the stars will be back for an encore next season.
After winning back-to-back regular season championships, Kempsville places three on the seven-member first team led by most valuable player Alijah Pittenger - a First Colonial sophomore.
Joining her are Kempsville sophomores Melanie Freeman and Emerald Zemedkum, and senior Faline Phucas. Salem's Sara Gatewood is the other senior. The remaining sophomores are Salem's Bronwyn Blair and Cox's Katherine Dunford.
The second team is also dominated by underclassmen - featuring only one senior. Second team members are Salem freshman Jenny Harmon, Ocean Lakes sophomore McKeesha Tann, Bayside sophomore Michelle Williams, Tallwood junior Colleen McGrath, Kellam junior Corrine Scott, and Cox senior Lane Baldwin.
Pittenger was a unanimous choice for MVP - leading the Patriots in nearly every statistical category.
While coach Harry Pincus said he didn't keep many individual statistics, he labled Pittenger as the best ``go-to'' player in the district.
``We went to her 90 percent of the time and she was good on about 85 percent of her kill attempts,'' Pincus said. ``We asked her to do everything and she came through for us.''
Pincus also praised Pittenger for her ability to recognize on-going blocks and destroy them with smashing hits or well-placed dinks. She was also the team's best setter.
At 5-foot-9, she was one of the taller players in the league.
Freeman led the Chiefs with 140 kills and got many of her chances because defenses were zoning in on teammate Phucas - last year's No. 2 hitter. Phucas finished the season again in second with 104 kills.
Neither would have been as effective without setter Zemedkum - one of the top setters in the league. Zemedkum was also an outstanding server and defensive player - serving up 39 aces and recording 27 digs.
Gatewood registered 75 kills as a middle hitter for Salem and 44 blocks as a middle blocker. She had 13 aces when serving.
Blair registered 650 assists as Salem's setter and had 17 digs on defense. She finished with a team-high 29 aces when serving.
Dunford led the Falcons as a on-court coach and finished with an outstanding 798 assists. She was the team's top all-around player, but swayed more toward setting up the offense and playing defense. She had 29 aces as a server and 91 digs. ILLUSTRATION: Staff photo by CHARLIE MEADS
Members of the All-Beach District girls volleyball team (front row,
left to right): Faline Phucas, Melanie Freeman, Bronwyn Blair and
Emerald Zemedkum and (back row): Alijah Pittenger, Sara Gatewood and
Katherine Dunford.
Chart
ALL-BEACH DISTRICT GIRLS VOLLEYBALL
by CNB