THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Wednesday, May 17, 1995 TAG: 9505170239
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C4 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY PAUL WHITE, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: SUFFOLK LENGTH: Medium: 52 lines
Mary Donnan Debranski's favorite sport to play is basketball. Her second-favorite is volleyball. When those two seasons are in progress, the Lakeland senior won't even think about picking up a tennis racket.
So how in the world can this girl win the Bay Rivers District singles title?
``I don't know,'' Debranski said with a smile.
Poquoson's Laura Schempf probably doesn't know, either. Two weeks ago, Schempf routed Lakeland's No. 1 player, 6-1, 6-2, in a regular-season match. But in Saturday's district tournament semifinals, with a Region I tournament berth at stake, Debranski surprised Schempf and took a three-set decision.
``I just think in the tournament, Mary Donnan decided she really wanted to win it,'' Lakeland coach Anne Bender said.
Debranski claimed the title Monday with a three-set victory over teammate Angela Jones, a victory that prompted The Virginian-Pilot and The Ledger-Star to give her its Athlete of the Week award.
Debranski's performance in the tournament also gives hope to every player set to take on more polished opponents. Debranski, 18, stopped taking tennis lessons years ago. She plays only during the season and part of the summer.
But while she lacks classic strokes, Debranski makes up for it with guile, determination and an impressive array of ``homemade'' weapons.
Occasionally, she'll grab the racket with two hands and chop viciously down at a ball as though she's trying to fell a tree. Other times, she'll adopt what appears to be an impossible grip for a forehand, then whip a heavily topspun ball that nearly bounds over an opponent's head.
``She's got so many shots,'' Bender said.
This ability to do whatever it takes to win works in her other sports as well. Debranski, who will attend Virginia Tech next fall, was an honorable-mention selection in basketball last season and a second-team all-league pick in volleyball. She has played the three sports all four years at Lakeland.
Throughout the years, about the only time Debranski had trouble competing was Monday, when she had trouble getting psyched up to play her good friend Jones.
But the two will probably meet again next week in the Region I final. And since only one of them will advance to the state tournament, Debranski doesn't expect motivation to be a problem.
``I'm sure it's going to be a lot more competitive,'' Debranski said. by CNB