Girls volleyball: STARS OF TOMORROW

Charlie Brande

The Annual Newport-Mesa Junior High Girls Volleyball Championships

were held last week at the new Blass Gymnasium on the Harbor Day School

campus.

As always, many parents and students attended the event. Many of our

local high school volleyball stars played in this tournament and it is

one that is always fondly remembered by all.

Former players in this tournament make a list of who’s who in local

volleyball. From Tracy Schriber, Prentice Perkins, Lara Carlsen and

Maureen McLaren in the 1980s to Misty May, Melissa Schutz, Kristin

Campbell, Kim Coleman and Jennifer Stroffe in the 90s, the list is

impressive.

This year’s senior class includes former tournament participants like

Newport Harbor’s April Ross, Erin Haller, Brenda Waterman and Andrea

Schutz, as well as Corona del Mar’s Dimitra Havriluk, Jamie Brownell,

Marissa Becker and Meghan Gallagher.

The seventh grade championship held on Thursday was very exciting. After

TeWinkle defeated Ensign in a hard-fought, three-game semifinal by scores

of 4-15, 15-5, 15-10, Corona delMar defeated Dwyer, 15-5, 15-11.

The final was exciting, but TeWinkle has a little too much for the

SeaWeeds of Corona del Mar and won, 15-13, 15-7.

TeWinkle Coach Judy Gibson was very excited about the championship,

noting that the last girls volleyball championship for TeWinkle was in

1984.

Gibson felt that her team was led by the hitting of Rebecca Harris, the

serving of Hillary Larson and the setting of Kiley Hall.

Kiley’s skills are not surprising considering that her mother (the former

Dale Keough, who was a volleyball standout at Corona del Mar in the 70s)

and her father (Larry Hall, who played football and volleyball at

Estancia, Orange Coast College and UCLA) are both very talented.

Corona del Mar’s team improved greatly throughout the season and was the

only team to beat Dwyer this year (they did it twice).

Coach Donnie Rafter was impressed with the play of Jordan Anae, Britta

Nielson, Breanne Ogden and Alex Palermo.

Ensign’s team gave TeWinkle a battle. Coach Joe Sloate cited the hitting

of Amanda Hoffenberg and the blocking of Stephanie Trinen for the team’s

success.

In the eighth-grade championship on Friday, Harbor Day, which was

undefeated during league play, defeated Costa Mesa in one semifinal,

while Ensign won a marathon match with Dwyer, 12-15, 15-6, 15-4.

The final was equally as exciting with Ensign upsetting Harbor Day, 9-15,

15-10, 15-13.

Ensign Coach Babe Folsom called this season “my most satisfying year.

Each player stepped up when called upon.”

The all-around play of Elizabeth Clayton, Meg Lord, and Lauren Paul

provided the direction for the victory.

Ensign was missing three starters for the title game, making the victory

even more impressive.

Harbor Day Coach Pam Coleman, who doubled as the tournament director, was

impressed with the hitting of Lauren Snell, Cristen Clapp, Emily Turner

and Roxanne Duka, while Duka and Turner were also the setters.

Coleman also noted the serving of Hillary Brakovich and Danielle Druker.

The excitement that this event creates should act as a springboard for

these young players as they approach their high school programs.

Remember these names. They could be the ones that carry Newport Harbor,

Corona del Mar, Estancia and Costa Mesa to CIF volleyball successes in

the next four or five years.