THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, February 25, 1996 TAG: 9602230207
SECTION: SUFFOLK SUN PAGE: 21 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY JAMI FRANKENBERRY, SUN SPORTS EDITOR
LENGTH: Medium: 65 lines
FRANKLIN SENIOR Jennifer West was named the Bay Rivers District girls volleyball player of the year for the second straight season in a vote of league coaches last week.
West registered 130 kills (four per game) and had 18 aces while making only three service errors in 244 attempts during the regular season.
``I wasn't thinking about getting it again, I just wanted to be aggressive and always give 110 percent on the court this year,'' said West, a member of RVC Magnitude, a junior national team out of Richmond. ``I wouldn't have been disappointed if someone else had gotten it. I would've known that they deserved it.''
Joining West on the first team were Nansemond River's Liz Pearson and Kari Harrell, Bruton's Katie Wilder and Amanda Wilkinson and York's Fran Halberg, all seniors.
Franklin coach Marilyn Dull said West, who has received recruiting interest from East Carolina and Maryland-Baltimore County, earned the award this season.
``It's more of an attribute to her this year because we were number two in the district last season,'' said Dull, whose team finished sixth at 6-8 in the Bay Rivers this season before winning two games in the district tournament to qualify for the region Saturday. ``She is an extremely remarkable volleyball player. There isn't one thing she didn't do consistently for us.''
Co-captains Pearson and Harrell helped lead Nansemond River, the regular season and tournament champion for the second straight year, to a 13-1 Bay Rivers record. Nansemond River suffered its only district loss in two seasons to Franklin before beating the Broncos in the tournament final last week.
Pearson led the Warriors with 62 kills, had 28 aces and served 91 percent.
``She's my voice on the floor and our vocal leader,'' Nansemond River coach Nancy Richey said of Pearson. ``She has to know enough about volleyball to make decisions for me out there.''
Harrell was second on the team with 52 kills and had 15 aces with a 78 serving percentage.
``Kari's just a little spark plug for us,'' Richey said. ``She's just intense and has a pursuit of the ball that she goes for out there.''
The second team included the Warriors' Heather Behrends, Angela Jones and Kristy Cornett of Lakeland, Smithfield's Robbin Hall, Southampton's Shannette Gary and Shannon Farino of Bruton.
Natasha Burnette (Bruton), Jennifer Craig (Lakeland), Amy Andre (Franklin), Towanda Evans (Southampton), Lindsey May (York), LaToya Crocker (Nansemond River), Laura Schempt (Poquoson) and Jennifer Kelinski (Smithfield) earned honorable mention.
Joe Ritzenthaler of Bruton was named Bay Rivers coach of the year. ILLUSTRATION: Liz Pearson
Nansemond River
Kari Harrell
Nansemond River
Jennifer West
Franklin
by CNB