THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, December 10, 1995 TAG: 9512080251
SECTION: SUFFOLK SUN PAGE: 29 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY JAMI FRANKENBERRY, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: Long : 127 lines
NANSEMOND RIVER is without question the team to beat in this year's Bay Rivers District girls volleyball race. And that worries coach Nancy Richey.
``After such a good season last year, it's always hard to repeat,'' said Richey, whose team went 14-0 in the district and won the Bay Rivers tournament last season. ``If we come anywhere close to what we did last year, I'll feel real fortunate.''
Nansemond River stands a good chance of repeating last year's performance, with four returning starters who are seniors.
Lakeland and Franklin are the teams with the best chance to unseat the Warriors, who won the region crown before losing in a state quarterfinal.
At Nansemond-Suffolk Academy, first-year coach Beverly Nuckles will try to help the Saints rebound from a sub .500 year, while in the Virginia Commonwealth Conference, Southampton Academy has a solid group of returning starters.
Here's a look at area girls volleyball teams.
NANSEMOND RIVER
Coach: Nancy Richey
Last season: 22-2 overall, 14-0 Bay Rivers
Impact players: Heather Behrends, senior hitter; LaToya Crocker, senior hitter; Kari Harrell, senior hitter-setter; Chrissy Mims, senior defensive specialist; Liz Pearson, senior hitter-setter.
Top newcomers: none
Outlook: Most of the seniors have been playing under Richey for four years. Behrends, Harrell, Mims and Pearson all started last season, while Crocker came off the bench. Experience from last year's play in the regional and state tournament should make the Warriors tough in postseason.
FRANKLIN
Coach: Marilyn Dull
Last year: 17-6 overall, 13-3 Bay Rivers
Impact players: Jennifer West, senior hitter; Katie Soule, senior setter; Amy Andre, senior hitter; Denise Joyner, junior hitter; Mandy Hewitt, junior blocker; Tina Denson, senior blocker.
Top newcomers: Nina Clark, freshman defensive specialist; Ann Young, sophomore defensive specialist.
Outlook: Despite losing three of their top players, the Broncos should be solid. They have four seniors who saw significant playing time last season, including Bay Rivers player of the year West.
LAKELAND
Coach: Suzanne Rice
Last season: 8-6 overall, 6-6 Bay Rivers
Impact players: Angela Jones, senior hitter; Kelley Lewis, senior hitter-setter; Yvette Edwards, senior hitter; Marlvetta Lewis, sophomore hitter.
Top newcomers: Jennifer Craig, junior hitter; Ana Ferreira, junior setter.
Outlook: Rice, in her first season, has a solid group of returning seniors that should help the Cavaliers get over the .500 mark. Craig, a transfer, and Ferreira, an exchange student from Brazil, add depth to an already strong group of hitters.
SMITHFIELD
Coach: Jerry Tenney
Last season: 4-12 overall, 2-12 Bay Rivers
Impact players: Robbin Hall, senior hitter; Jennifer Kilinski, senior hitter; Judith Edwards, senior setter; Sabrina Whitley, senior setter.
Top newcomers: Fabriana Rocha, senior setter; Ashley Eames, junior hitter.
Outlook: Tenney says the Packers may be the most improved team in the Bay Rivers. Hall played in the Commonwealth Games last summer, while Kilinski is a transfer from New York and Rocha is a foreign exchange student from Brazil.
SOUTHAMPTON
Coach: Diane Seward
Last year: 0-14 overall and Bay Rivers
Impact players: Latoya Adkins, senior blocker; Tewanda Evans, senior setter; Shanette Gary, junior blocker; Christy Ferguson, hitter-setter.
Top newcomers: Theress Wiggins, sophomore hitter; Sherri Garris, junior hitter; Emily Edwards, junior hitter; Kristie Keeter, junior blocker; Charmaine Thomas, senior hitter.
Outlook: The Indians expect to be competitive in the district this year. Seward said they've added some height to the front line and had several players attend volleyball camps during the offseason.
NANSEMOND-SUFFOLK
Coach: Beverly Nuckles
Last season: 5-10 overall, 3-5 TCIS
Impact players: Allison Williams, senior setter; Sarah Whitlock, junior hitter; Cindy Santure, junior hitter; Jamie Harris, junior hitter-setter; Melissa Steele, junior setter.
Newcomers to watch: Sarah Putnam, senior hitter; April Wescott, junior hitter.
Outlook: The Saints have some basic skills and a strong interest in improving. Nuckles is hoping they can learn a more progressive game and execute their plays faster.
WINDSOR
Coach: Tommy Austin
Last season: 3-12 overall, 2-6 Tri-Rivers District
Impact players: Catava Burton, junior hitter; Tiffany Duck, senior hitter.
Top newcomers: Lauryn Harris, junior hitter; Susan Frank, freshman hitter; Candice Jones, junior hitter-setter; Nicki Stone, junior setter; Jackie Snellings, junior setter; Tori Powell, junior hitter.
Outlook: Burton is the only returnee who started last season - the rest graduated. All the newcomers are up from the junior varsity except for Harris, a transfer from Indian River. This season could go a long way in helping the Dukes for next year, when they expect to have six seniors.
SOUTHAMPTON ACADEMY
Coach: Beth Hartson
Last season: 14-4 overall, 13-4 Virginia Commonwealth Conference
Impact players: Jessica Partridge, senior setter; Anna Story, senior setter; Jessica Pope, senior hitter; Jennifer Pope, senior hitter; Fraces Babb, senior setter.
Top newcomer: Wendy Worrell, senior hitter.
Outlook: The Raiders return all the starters from a team that finished second in the conference last season. Worrell, returning after a year off due to knee surgery, adds height to a strong front line. Five of the six played on the VCC championship basketball team. ILLUSTRATION: Staff photo by MICHAEL KESTNER
Left to right, seniors LaToya Crocker, Kari Harrell, Chrissy Mims
and Liz Pearson return to start for Nansemond River's volleyball
team.
by CNB