DATE: Tuesday, November 11, 1997            TAG: 9711110452

SECTION: SPORTS                  PAGE: C6   EDITION: FINAL 

SOURCE: BY BRIAN J. FRENCH, STAFF WRITER 

DATELINE: VIRGINIA BEACH                    LENGTH:   85 lines

SALEM VOLLEYBALL STAR KEEPS REACHING JENNY HARMON HAS ALWAYS STRIVED FOR MORE. THAT INCLUDES A STATE TITLE.

Looking for a story about Salem's Jenny Harmon that speaks to both her talent and her commitment? Just talk to Owen Dixon.

``It was February, 1994,'' the Sun Devils girls volleyball coach said. ``I was coaching an 18-and-under team in the Mid-Atlantic Power Series in a tournament in Columbia, S.C. when I found out that two of my players had to be quarantined, leaving me with five healthy bodies.

``So I went to Cubby (the late Harold ``Cubby'' Morgan), who at the time was coaching the 16-and-under team, looking for someone to add to my team. And he pointed out this kid named Jenny Harmon.''

Harmon, then 14, went down to South Carolina to compete against players three and four years older than her. The next day, she played for Morgan's team in a Harrisonburg tournament.

It was the last time Harmon played with the 16-and-under team. And it was the last time Dixon had to ask about her.

Harmon's life would be a full one even if it focused solely on volleyball. From Tidewater Volleyball Association play in the spring to summer camps to a starring role on top-ranked Salem, the Sun Devil senior is kept hopping.

Then add to the mix. . .

Two other varsity sports (basketball and softball, though she's giving up the latter this year).

A 3.9 grade point average (which places her 16th in a class of 547).

A stint coaching an AAU basketball team (she missed her ring dance to coach in a New England tournament).

A budding journalism career (she's the sports editor of the school paper).

Now you can see how playing in two tournaments, separated by hundreds of miles but only one day, is no big thing for her.

``Ever since middle school, I've played three sports,'' said Harmon. ``I've gotten used to doing my homework in the car. It's just a way of life for me.''

So is success. In her high school career, Harmon has had at least a share of Beach District player of the year for three years running. Last season, she was the Gatorade state player of the year.

And this year Harmon led the district in kills (231), kill rate (.342) and blocks (68) while serving at an 84 percent rate as she led Salem to a 19-1 record and the Eastern Region championship.

But to talk about Harmon's impact on the Sun Devils in terms of simple statistics alone is to miss the point, Dixon said.

``Jenny is a treat for any coach in any sport to have as a player,'' Dixon said. ``She personifies the word coachability. She has an aura of superiority, and success comes easily. She leads by example, and doesn't ask of her teammates what she doesn't already do herself.''

But something's missing. Like a state championship.

``We all know we have the talent and ability to win state,'' said Harmon, whose Sun Devils host Central Region runnerup Clover Hill in the state quarterfinals tonight. ``The expectations push us to go on. We know what to expect from ourselves. We want to live up to the expectations.''

Salem came close last season, falling in the state semifinals to eventual champion Cox.

``Last year, it was us and Cox,'' Harmon said. ``We battled the whole year, and they won. This year, it's been us and Tallwood. It's the same thing, except we want to win this time. We want to do it now.''

And the future?

Harmon, who said she started playing volleyball in middle school recess because ``it was fun'', will parlay her schoolyard hobby into a full scholarship at Virginia, where she'll pursue a career in sports business.

That in itself is no surprise; Harmon was recruited by six schools, and the Cavaliers play in the high-profile ACC. But why she chose Thomas Jefferson's school over, say, James Madison or William & Mary may strike you as unusual.

``Other schools told me I'd start my first year, but I didn't want that,'' Harmon said. ``At Virginia, all the players are just incredible, and I probably won't start. But I'm looking forward to competing for a spot. I want to have to play hard.

``I see myself as an average player, one who's constantly trying to improve. I've only played volleyball four years, and I know I can be a better player in the years ahead. I'm always pushing myself.

``I have to.''

That's not a surprise to those who know Harmon.

``She loves a challenge,'' Dixon said. ``She saw playing on the 18-year old team when she was 14 as a challenge. She thrives on challenge, and she creates it for those around her.'' ILLUSTRATION: Photo

NHAT MEYER/The Virginian-Pilot

Jenny Harmon is going to Virginia because she won't start. ``I'm

looking forward to competing for a spot. I want to have to play

hard.''

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