THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, January 5, 1996 TAG: 9601040123
SECTION: VIRGINIA BEACH BEACON PAGE: 14 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Sports
SOURCE: BY REA FARMER, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: Medium: 79 lines
FACED WITH THE stiffest competition to date, several Beach District girls volleyball players stepped to the fore this season.
The district race went to the wire, ending in a three-way tie that was clinched on the final night of the regular season. Salem, Cox and Kempsville posted 15-3 marks, then continued to duel a strong slate of opponents in the district tournament.
Salem emerged as the best of the best, storming to the district and Eastern Region titles.
Arming the Sun Devils' attack was district Player of the Year Jenny Harmon. The 15-year-old sophomore played with skill and experience that belied her youth. Harmon paced the Sun Devils in kills with 129, blocks with 22 and aced 24 serves during the regular season.
In postseason play, Harmon armed 36 kills with 10 aces and 19 blocks.
Harmon faced tough competition for the individual effort. Salem's Bronwyn Blair, Cox' Katherine Dunford, Kempsville's Melanie Freeman and Emerald Zemedkun, Tallwood's Sarah Neaves and First Colonial's Alija Pittenger earned first team all-district honors in a balloting of district coaches.
Blair, a junior, was a stabilizing force for the Sun Devils throughout the season. In the Eastern Region playoffs, Blair was a calming influence. A seasoned starter, her state basketball playoff experience helped the Sun Devils in their inaugural appearance in the state playoffs.
Dunford, a junior setter, powered a surprisingly tough Cox team. The Falcons won 10 straight before falling to Salem. Dunford powered the team past several opponents before the Falcons' title run ended in the semifinals of the district tournament. Cox's only losses were to co-regular season champions Salem and Kempsville.
Freeman, a junior hitter, was a feared aggressor at the net. Opposing coaches agonized over shutting down her hitting arsenal of shots. Freeman and teammate Zemedkun led the Chiefs to a runner-up district performance and a semifinal Eastern Region loss to eventual runner-up Indian River.
Zemedkun dazzled receivers with a dropping missile of a serve. The junior's service barely cleared the net before it slammed to the floor. Diving opponents tried vainly to gauge its landing site.
Neaves, a sophomore outside hitter/middle blocker, paced the Lions to upset wins. Labeled as a spoiler throughout the season, the Lions pushed a .500 1994 season record to a 1995 postseason appearance.
Pittinger proved to be the strongest hitter in the district. The junior was unstoppable at the net, flashing a kill across the net before a blocker was off the floor. Pittinger, like most of the first-team players, hones her talents in the Junior Olympics during the offseason.
Kempsville's Nicole Boyd and Kelly Sisley, Salem's Misty Colebank and Jacquelyn Costa, Tallwood's Arlene Pineda and Princess Anne's Danielle Wozniel were selected to the second team. ILLUSTRATION: ALL-BEACH DISTRICT VOLLEYBALL
Jenny Harmon
Salem sophomore
Bronwyn Blair
Salem junior
Katherine Dunford
Cox junior
Melanie Freeman
Kempsville junior
Emerald Zemedkun
Kempsville junior
Sarah Neaves
Tallwood sophomore
Alija Pittenger
First Colonial junior
CHART
[For a complete roster, see microfilm for this date.]
by CNB