THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Thursday, December 15, 1994 TAG: 9412130124
SECTION: NORFOLK COMPASS PAGE: 18 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY PATTI WALSH, COMPASS SPORTS EDITOR
LENGTH: Medium: 67 lines
WEEK INTO practice for the Eastern District's first girls volleyball season, Maury coach Margaret Carlson needed just one thing: a setter, someone who could quarterback her Commodores to a successful year.
Carlson got more than she bargained for when Rachel Rashti, a transfer from Norfolk Collegiate, called one day and asked if she could come out to practice. Though she was a week late and the team had already been picked, Carlson allowed the junior to join the team.
Good thing. Rashti led Maury - along with three other somewhat experienced players - to an undefeated season and was named the district's player of the year by the league's coaches.
The Commodores, who finished 8-0 atop the Norfolk schools, led the all-district selections, placing four on the first team and one on the second. Four Maury players also earned honorable mention.
Maury's Chani Bahl, Melissa Griffith and Nicole Fewell joined Rashti, while Jessica Koch and Tannya Jones, who helped Granby to a 5-3 second place finish and Booker T. Washington's Jennell Holloman rounded out the first-team picks.
With the late addition of Rashti, Maury had something that all of the other first-year squads seemed to be lacking. Experience.
But Carlson, who was bestowed coach of the year honors by her peers, doesn't see it that way.
``Everybody thinks we did well because of our experienced players,'' she said. ``I had three girls with experience and after that, it was a brand new thing for them.''
Seniors Fewell, an outside hitter and Melissa Griffith, a back row passing specialist, each had played on the Junior Olympic level, but Bahl, who averaged seven kills a game as an outside hitter, had little experience.
``She was the team's hardest hitter and could put the ball down,'' Carlson said.
Koch, another new edition to the Eastern District after playing at Catholic last year, added experience to a green Granby team. The Comets' junior utility player also plays in tournaments sponsored by the Tidewater Volleyball Association.
``Her experience helped the rest of the team,'' Granby coach Joanie Murphy said. ``She was a good demonstrator and motivator.''
Murphy added that Jones, a junior outside hitter, had no organized experience when she tried out for the squad.
``When you have a natural athlete on the court,'' she said, ``you can teach them any sport. She's a competitor all the way.''
The Bookers' Holloman, who Murphy said was a ``consistent server'' rounded out the first team.
``She had a lot of athletic ability,'' Murphy noted. ``She was all over the floor.''
Granby's Natalie Weatherburn and Melanie Clark earned second-team honors. They were joined by Norview's Kim Fair and Shana Thompson; Booker T.'s Raquita Washington; and Maury's Richel Valdez.
Honorable mention was awarded to Maury's Kelly Cooper, Paige Giffin, Elmer Rojas and Allison McCrillis; Granby's Holly Higgins, Summer Jernigan and Gabby Isa; and Lake Taylor's Laarne Romero. ILLUSTRATION: Staff photo by LAWRENCE JACKSON
Members of the All-Eastern District volleyball team: front row,
Maury's Nicole Fewell, left, and Maury's Rachel Rashti; back row,
from left, Maury's Melissa Griffith, Booker T.'s Jennell Holloman,
Granby's Jessica Koch and Maury's Chani Bahl.
by CNB