THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Thursday, August 17, 1995 TAG: 9508170683
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C1 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY MYLENE MANGALINDAN, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: Long : 102 lines
The atmosphere in Granby High School's gym was loose and casual the second day of volleyball practice.
``It's OUT!'' yelled Brian Jones as an incoming serve sailed over the net toward his team.
Alex Zayas, his 16-year-old teammate, decided differently and tried to pass the ball, but it dropped on his side without clearing the net.
``Listen to the call!'' insisted Jones a cocky senior who wears a gold hoop and a diamond stud. He gave Zayas a friendly handslap.
Coach Larry White, who was playing with two freshmen on the other team, cackled.
``Too late! Too late!'' he gloated.
``Talk to me,'' he said, admonishing his players to communicate.
This scene and others like it are taking place all over South Hampton Roads.
Norfolk, as well as Chesapeake, is introducing boys volleyball as a team sport to its public high schools this year.
Virginia Beach high schools are entering their third year of girls volleyball and the second year for boys.
Granby's first game takes place Sept. 7, a scrimmage against Deep Creek.
The sport - which usually garners attention for its sun-bronzed, beach following - has grown increasingly popular in recent years, said Mike Vanderslice, director of the Tidewater Volleyball Association.
The association boasts almost 1,200 indoor members throughout South Hampton Roads, but about 2,400 people participate in the group's indoor and outdoor events in the region. Participation in the sport has nearly tripled, Vanderslice said.
For example, 150 high school students participated in the association's summer league this year compared with 40 last year.
``Volleyball has really taken off in the last four to five years in Virginia and the nation,'' said Mark Lottinville, coach for the boys team at First Colonial.
High school girls have played volleyball competitively in Virginia for eight years, said Claudia Dodson, assistant director of the Virginia High School League.
Richmond-area schools have supported girls and boys volleyball in their high schools during that time. In contrast, Northern Virginia does not have the sport in its schools, Dodson said.
At the end of the 1994 school year, 20 Granby high school students showed interest in playing for the fledging boys team. One had played the sport regularly.
``There was only one guy last year who showed some real promise, but he moved away,'' White said, laughing. ``I had visions of building the team around him.''
White, a special education instructor at Granby, is a 5-foot-8 black man with closely cropped hair and a goatee. He has played volleyball recreationally for 10 years and spent time as a referee.
His quiet coaching demeanor in the gym belies his enthusiasm for the sport.
His black Nissan Sentra has a license plate holder that says ``Real Volleyball.'' His license plate reads ``Toc 2 Me,'' a phrase volleyball players say to each other when they communicate plays, instructions and defenses.
White didn't have an easy time chiseling together a team.
Originally five boys had signed up, but only after White spent a summer badgering them with follow-up calls to ensure their participation. Six people are needed to field a team.
A motley crew of seven players attended Monday's afternoon practice. One long-haired senior wore Frye sandals and socks to the gym. Most wore baggy shorts that hung below their knees.
Some talked about the difficulty of starting a team.
``Most people consider it a female sport,'' said Jason McCrory, a 16-year-old junior, who looked more like a surfer than a volleyball player with his hiking boots and surfer T-shirt. He hoped to join the team after the required physical examination.
``They don't know how fun the sport is,'' said Jones, who was teased by his former football teammates. ``Volleyball demands all-around strength.''
The squad devoted most of Monday afternoon to the fundamental sequence of passing - known as bump, set and spike. They split into two teams to run control passing drills on a shortened court.
But mostly, they spent time goofing around, shooting baskets, coining nicknames for each other and trying to retrieve volleyballs from the gym rafters.
One junior, Sean Rench, practiced crane karate stances. His teammates dubbed him ``Doogie'' because he resembled the precocious teenage doctor on the TV series.
One player, Jerry Conwell, quietly explained why he joined the volleyball squad.
``I thought if we were the first team, and we won the championship and we'd get really famous - it'd be something to tell my grandkids,'' said the shy 14-year-old freshman.
``We'd probably be really popular,'' he added. ILLUSTRATION: Color photo
MARTIN SMITH-RODDEN/Staff
Brian Jones, 17, serves during volleyball practice at Granby High
School Tuesday. High schools throughout Norfolk and Chesapeake are
introducing boys volleyball this year.
by CNB