THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, February 16, 1996 TAG: 9602140139
SECTION: CHESAPEAKE CLIPPER PAGE: 26 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY PATTI WALSH, CLIPPER SPORTS EDITOR
DATELINE: CHESAPEAKE LENGTH: Medium: 52 lines
LIKE HER GREENBRIER Christian girls volleyball team, Mandy Havens has moved from the back to the front this season.
The Gators, who finished sixth with a 4-5 record last year, have relied on Havens' adjustment from defense to offense to help them earn one of the top spots in the Tidewater Conference of Independent Schools tournament, which continues tonight at Norfolk Christian.
``I had played the front row, but never started there before,'' said Havens, a senior. ``It's more intense on the front row. You've got the last hit and you decide whether or not it's going to be a good play.''
Most of Havens' last-minute decisions have worked to the Gators' advantage. She's returning 81 percent of the balls played to her, and of that, 47 percent of her hits are aces.
``When she's on, she's definitely on,'' Greenbrier coach Angie Moretto said. ``Actually, the majority of her hits are dinks, but they count as aces. Anything I ever need, I know I can call on her and get it done. She has improved, by far.''
Said Havens: ``I try to find the holes. I love to play the net.''
Havens, along with Michelle Hines, Katie Sherwood, Tara Garlow, Kelley Holland and Karen Carmichael, will be the deciding factors on the front line when Greenbrier takes the court as the tournament's dark horse.
``We have a lot more talent this year,'' Moretto said. ``The girls really work well together. If they keep their heads up and play like they can, I don't think anyone can beat us.''
So far, the Gators have improved their record to 16-4 overall and 5-3 in the league - their only losses are to Norfolk Academy and Norfolk Collegiate, the conference's No. 1 and No. 2 seeds.
But Havens and her teammates are on the Bulldogs' heels after a win over the perennial power in a round-robin tournament earlier in the season.
``I think we can beat them again,'' said Havens, whose team also took the Bulldogs to four games in the conference matchup before losing 15-10, 15-6, 12-15, 15-13. ``We can beat anyone in our conference if we put our minds to it.''
Added Moretto: ``We were the first team to beat them in a long time. That was one of our goals. Hopefully, we can do it again in the tournament.'' ILLUSTRATION: Photo
Mandy Havens
Greenbrier Christian star
by CNB