ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1995, Roanoke Times
DATE: Thursday, December 7, 1995 TAG: 9512070023
SECTION: CURRENT PAGE: NRV-3 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
DATELINE: PEARISBURG
TYPE: HIGH SCHOOL SPORTS
SOURCE: CHAD WILLIS STAFF WRITER
MEMO: ***CORRECTION***
Published correction ran on December 8, 1995.
In Thursday's New River Current article about local volleyballers,
Debbie Carlson, Radford's volleyball coach, was misidentified.
Giles High volleyball coach Neil Schmidt enters the 1995-96 season with a problem few high school coaches have, but many would welcome:
"I'm kind of in a nice situation this year because I have an overabundance of good hitting," Schmidt said. "I have six returning players and six seniors on this team. The hardest thing about the whole situation is figuring out who my six starters are going to be."
One starter is sure to be senior all-district outside hitter Gina Claytor. Claytor led the Spartans to a 14-7 record last season and the first regional appearance in Schmidt's tenure with the school.
"Last season we made it to the [Region C] tournament where we lost in the first round," Schmidt said. "That was the first time Giles has been since I've been here. Now this team wants to get back to that level."
Seniors Tina Collins and Jessica Higgenbotham return as starters for the Spartans. Collins, an outside hitter, and Higgenbotham, a backline player, are being counted on by Schmidt to teach the younger players Giles' style.
"They have experience, but the players that are up from the JV team don't," Schmidt said. "This team is known for its defensive hustle. We always have two or three girls on the floor going after the ball. The new players aren't used to that yet, but they'll learn from the older ones."
Here's a look at the rest of the area teams:
Auburn will enter this season with a new philosophy and a new coach. Sherry Akers takes over the reins as the Eagles' coach, and with her comes a new offensive attack.
"We've been practicing a couple of weeks now and the players are getting used to the things we've changed on offense," Akers said. "The strength of this team this year is going to be our hitting and blocking. We do both pretty well."
Height is key in Akers' system, and 6-foot-1 senior middle blocker Crystal Moles and a pair of 5-11 players, senior outside hitter Amy Davis and junior middle blocker Deanna Dickerson, provide a needed presence at the net for Auburn.
Blacksburg is coming off a 19-7 season that ended with a loss to Rustburg in the state quarterfinals. The Indians, winners of last season's New RIver District tournament and runner-ups in the Region IV tournament, figure to push Carroll County for the 1995-96 district title.
Honorable mention All-Group AA outside hitter April Rogers is the only returning starter for coach Suzie Schneider's team. Fellow seniors, Catherine Coebel, Jill Johnson, Megan Lee and Sarah Williams are being counted on by Schneider to play larger roles this season.
"A lot of our seniors either didn't play a lot last year, or they were defensive specialists," Schneider said. "We scheduled some hard matches to start the season so we could get some good experience early in the season."
Christiansburg returns only one starter, senior outside hitter Shawna Pace, from last season's team that finished last in the NRD.
"We played some good games last season, but on the whole we had a very up and down season," Blue Demon coach Lisa Holland said. "We beat Blacksburg for the first time and we beat Salem both matches. Those are teams that are traditionally strong. But we also lost to some teams that aren't as good."
Holland said this year's team should fare better with the help of three other seniors, outside hitter Christa Hylt and setters Cara Critzer and Suzzanna Lufko, but the workhorse will remain Pace.
"Her experience will mean a great deal to us," Holland said. "She is a strong, consistent force for us. She plays a lot of club ball and spends a lot of time with the sport."
Narrows returns five starters, two of which are seniors, to last year's 13-6 team. To coach Erin Burton, that statistic translates into high hopes for a district title in 1996.
"Our players are a competitive bunch," Burton said. "A few of them are coming over from the basketball team that did so well. Hopefully their success will transfer to volleyball."
Senior setter/hitters Melissa Lawrence and Becky Turner, and junior hitters Melissa Lucas, Suzanne Webb and Natalie Wheeler return as starters for the Green Wave. Senior Leigh Ann Billos will also see extensive time for Burton's squad.
Radford coach Debbie Coffman has a number of reasons to be optimistic about her team's chances in the Three Rivers District, the five biggest being her returning starters off last year's squad.
Seniors outside hitters Ginny Harris and Robyn Carroll, setter Stephanie Smith, and all-district middle hitter, Kim Kimbleton, and junior outside hitter Melissa Garnett give what Coffman believes is a chance to push for the district title.
"We've got good experience and good talent up from the JV team, so I expect us to be strong this year," Coffman said. "The district is going to be tough, but our hitting is the strongest it has been since I've been at Radford. We should be able to compete."
LENGTH: Medium: 99 lines ILLUSTRATION: PHOTO: ALAN KIM/Staff. (From left) Giles High School volleyballby CNBcoach Neil Schmidt
with seniors Jessica Higginbotham and Tina Collins, taking practice
at the
school. color.