
                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: WEDNESDAY, July 13, 1994                   TAG: 9408050021
SECTION: SPORTS                    PAGE: C3   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: BOB TEITLEBAUM STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: HAMPTON                                 LENGTH: Medium

WEST SERVES UP VOLLEYBALL VICTORY

It started with the serves of Narrows' Melinda Fleeman and continued with the steady net play of George Wythe's Stacey Green and Abingdon's Corrie Bundy. It ended with a serve by Blacksburg's Meredith that the East couldn't return.

By that time, the West had staged an incredible rally to take the first Virginia High School Coaches' Association all-star volleyball match from the East 15-8, 6-15, 5-15, 15-8, 15-10 in the sweltering Hampton University gym.

The West lost two of the first three games and was down 4-3 in the fourth game. Fleeman sparked the comeback as the West scored five consecutive points to build a lead and some momentum.

Though the East eventually tied the score, Braine's service provided the final four points to force a fifth game.

The West's net play improved as Green, the Timesland girls' athlete of the year, teamed with Bundy to make some key blocks. The West was down 7-1, but rallied again by outscoring the East 13-3 with Braine 's ace putting an exclamation point on the victory.

``I always believe anything is possible,'' said Wythe's Lillie Moore, who was one of the West coaches. ``It's just waiting for a little spark if you can hang through it.''

Fleeman, an All-Timesland volleyball player, knew she had a hand in the victory. ``It was a matter of talking and getting together,'' she said. ``We needed something to get us excited.''

Braine never had any doubts.

``We had a little gleam in our eyes. We all knew we could do it,'' said Timesland's volleyball player of the year. ``Generally, good serves [such as Fleeman's] help get everybody up.''Abingdon's Kelly Weddle was named the West's most valuable player. She was the team's most consistent player and had a key role in the first-game victory.

by CNB