DATE: Tuesday, March 25, 1997               TAG: 9703250493

SECTION: SPORTS                  PAGE: C6   EDITION: FINAL 

SOURCE:    - REA McLEROY

LENGTH: 42 lines

SALEM STAR HONORED AS STATE'S BEST IN VOLLEYBALL

Salem junior Jenny Harmon now can be mentioned in the same breath with the likes of Alonzo Mourning and J.R. Reid.

Harmon has been named Gatorade Circle of Champions Virginia High School Volleyball Player of the Year. Mourning and Reid received the honor in basketball during their high school careers in South Hampton Roads.

``I was really surprised,'' Harmon said. ``(Coach) Owen (Dixon) and I, neither of us had even heard of it before. We didn't know how I got it or who nominated me. It was really surprising.''

A national advisory board selected the 5-foot-11 Harmon for the award. She now is being considered for regional and national Player of the Year.

Harmon's recognition continued over the weekend when she was selected to the Group AAA first team All-State girls volleyball team.

First Colonial's Alija Pittenger was also selected to the first team. Laura Marcuson of Mills Godwin was voted Player of the Year. Other first-team players are Jessica Evers of Albemarle, Shelly Sprouse of Clover Hill and Lindsay Cannon of Cave Spring.

Cox senior setter Katherine Dunford and Indian River senior hitter Quiana White were named second team All-State. They are joined by Midlothian's Kristen Didio, Osbourne Park's Tricia Wilson, Clover Hill's Laura Nussman and Cave Spring's Jenny Lemker. Indian River senior Jennifer Burns and Cox senior Brooke Stefansson were honorable mention.

Harmon led the Sun Devils to the AAA girls state semifinals. She collected 210 kills, 114 digs and 65 solo blocks, and served with a 92 percent accuracy. She was Beach District Co-Player of the Year and was named first-team All-Tidewater. Pittenger was also the Beach District's Co-Player of the Year and first team All-Tidewater. She posted 113 kills, 80 digs, 112 assists and 43 service aces. ILLUSTRATION: Jenny

Harmon

Alija

Pittenger

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