THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, December 4, 1994 TAG: 9412020275
SECTION: CHESAPEAKE CLIPPER PAGE: 26 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY JULIE GOODRICH, CLIPPER SPORTS EDITOR
LENGTH: Medium: 65 lines
DURING THE SEASON, the Western Branch and Indian River girls' volleyball teams engaged in a friendly rivalry that resulted in two of the finest matches to be played in the Southeastern District.
Although Indian River won both of those five-game marathons, the Bruins evened the score with wins over the Braves in both the district and Eastern Region finals.
It's fitting, then, that Western Branch and Indian River would dominate the post-season awards, placing four players each on the 1994 All-District volleyball team.
Only Great Bridge junior Jill Ferguson, selected as one of four outside hitters, kept it from being a clean sweep.
Three players - setter Jeannine Simpson and outside hitters Jaci Morris and Rachel Tyler - were selected to the first team for the second straight year.
At setter, the coaches chose to honor two seniors: Simpson and Western Branch's Sarah Wolf.
``I used her just like a football coach would use a quarterback,'' Braves coach Linda Rice said of Simpson, who is leaning toward playing volleyball at Mary Washington. ``I counted on her to lead the team.''
Wolf, who moved up to the first team after being selected as a second-team setter last year, was praised for her ``exceptional knowledge of how to run a game'' by coach Jim Stanko.
Morris, a junior, was joined by Western Branch teammate Amanda Adkins at the outside hitter position.
At middle blocker are two players who earned honorable mention honors last season - Western Branch junior Katie MacPhail and sophomore Quiana White from Indian River.
Junior Maria Astudillo of Indian River rounds out the first team at defensive specialist.
``She is dynamite in the back,'' said Rice. Astudillo made tremendous strides this season, earning first-team selection after being left out of the postseason honors last year. ``I would think that the ball was dead, and she would get it right back up.''
The second team consisted primarily of seniors, including former first team setter Marni Magyar of Great Bridge.
Among the underclassmen, Indian River junior Latisha Grevious, a first team pick last season, was selected at middle blocker. Braves teammate Elizabeth Morgan was selected as defensive specialist, and sophomore Nicole Atterberry of Deep Creek was chosen as an outside hitter.
Other second team picks included Robin Clark at setter, Deonna Lucas, April Meyer, and Evie Benson at outside hitter, and Emily Outzs at middle blocker. ILLUSTRATION: Photo by L. TODD SPENCER
The All-Southeastern District Girls Volleyball First Team, front
row, left to right: Jeannine Simpson, Rachel Tyler and Maria
Astudillo of Indian River; Sarah Wolf of Western Branch. Back row:
Jill Ferguson of Great Bridge; Katie MacPhail of Western Branch;
Quiana White of Indian River; Amanda Adkins and Jaci Morris of
Western Branch.
by CNB