Sherman Oaks Center for Enriched Studies - Excalibur Yearbook (Los Angeles, CA)

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INSIDE SPORTS This one ' s mine — Michelle Morrison serves for her volleyball learn during one of the games against Wesiside Magnet. Serving is one of the many skills the team had lots of practice in when they stayed after school. Scoreboard JBB SOCES . LACES game one 8 4 15 15 game two 4 6 15 15 SOCES Westside game one 11 15 6 15 12 15 game two 15 12 15 11 15 4 SOCES Midcity game one 15 15 8 4 game two 15 15 4 5 Smile and be nice — Carlene Rowe. Michelle Morrison. Lea Jayasinghe. Debru Petroy. and Evelyn Cerritos shake hands with Westside players. After a game no matter who won everyone puts aside their differences and shake hands, trade comments, meet each other, and are very friendly. The competition is only during the game is taking place, once the game is over everyone is equal and are able to speak to each other nicelv. 50 Girls Volleyball Sports

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Hanging in there — is Richard Cunningham, an elev- enth grader. This is his first year on the Junior Varsi- ty team. He is an exceptional player and a wonderful asset to the team. Here he is dunking for two. Over here!. ' — .4s Gwen Thompson goes for that awe- some block number forty-two. Diane Quan. is ready in waiting to he sure we try to keep the opponents from scoring. This demonstrates team work. What an ef- fort ' erforming with hustle, spirit, and pride A new experience for the Junior Varsity Knights basketball teams included the first ever competition in the 3A division. Being in the 3A league made us realize how much stronger we grew. It was defi- nitely a challenge and now we know how strong to be next year, Mac Becker, head coach of the boys J.V. team said. Along with playing in the 3A division for the first time, Lisa Lewis managed to orga- nize a girls basketball team. Playing in the 3A division is a challenge and is fun too. At limes it ' s a little tough being a pioneer team, however the girls are young and I have high hopes for the pro- gram in the future, said Ms. Lewis. Even though both teams, boys J.V. and the girls, had a tough season, it was com- petitive and enjoyable. We have an excellent team with good potential. We are just as competitive as the other 3 A teams so there is no reason why we shouldn ' t come out on the upper half of our division — Varsity. Girls, as well as J.V., said Byron Devers, captain. Basketball practices and games require intensive workmanship, dedication and teamwork. It is very important for the members of the team to work together and help each other. Our team gets along very well. We share secrets and talk out our problems if we have any. The main thing is we help each other and that ' s what counts, said Malinda Paniagua. What does it take to be in the 3A league? Team work is the key word. Not only get- ting along with your own team, but also with your opponents, team members agree. I think it ' s great that we can compete with other high schools and it gives us a chance to compare our athletes with the athletes of other schools, said Diane Quan. Grades are an important rule in the game of basketball. The players must maintain a grade point average of a ' C or above with no fails. To me grades are very important. Play- ing gives me the satisfaction that I have school spirit. To gain that spirit, I work hard in all my classes. said Kenderick Jackson. The cheering and excitement dies down as the basketball season comes to an end. However the encouragement from the cheerleaders and students last forever. By Stephanie Prince How different is it being in the 3A league as opposed to being in the regular league? Dennaid Jackson — ' The difference is a huge one. Things are more organized, more disciplined, and it gives us a good goal to strive for. Nov we know to work twice as hard. Girls arsity — members are. bottom: Tanisha Da- vis. Diane Quan. Jennifer Koepke. Lakisha Stokes. G en Thompson. Top.- Ms. Lewis, Mary Branch. Ma- linda Paniagua. Sophia Lord. Tanisha H ' atts. Pau- lette Mitchell. Tanisha Heard. 49

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Bang it. Slam it — Valeska Difrieri jumps to stop the ball from touching the ground. She hit it up and a team member hit the ball over the net. Team work is essential to the girl ' s volleyball team. Swush — Lea Jayasinghe serving during a practice game. During practice the girls strengthen their skills in volleyball and all their practice helped them to get to second place. Their ability to work as a team really helped them a lot. earn work helps make it to second place Many high school girls got interested in volleyball and decided to join the school ' s girls volleyball team. They all joined for different reasons but together they made it to second place in the magnet league. I joined the team because I like sports and practicing them keeps me physically and mentally healthy. I picked the volley- ball team because I used to play it a lot in P.E. My favorite part about being in the volleyball team is the opportunity to display my skills in the sport, Evelyn Cerritos, twelfth grader, said. This was the first year that a girls volley- ball team was put together. Mrs. Young was the coach of the girls volleyball team and in order to prepare the girls for compe- tition against other schools, she made them stay after school for practice. Most thought staying after school was fun also very hard work. During practice the girls strengthen their skills in serving, jumping, blocking, and thinking up strategy. This year they played in the magnet league, we hope next year the team will be able to play in the 3A league, Mrs. Young, volleyball coach, said. A few days after the team was formed the girls had to play their first game against L.A.C.E.S. Not having had much practice, the team was not prepared to compete. But the game had to be played. We were shocked because only a few days before we found out we were on the team and already we had a game. We all knew we weren ' t ready for the game but we worked as a team and tried our best. We lost, Lee Jayasinghe, twelfth grader, said. The whole team was sad about the de- feat, but there were many games after that of which the team won more than half of. Once we got our uniforms, which ori- ginally belonged to last year ' s softball team, we played more as a team. We were undefeatable and that took us to second place, Knieba Jones, tenth grader, said. Therefore the girls team was a success, thanks to all the practice they had and their ability to work as a team. By Heidi Lazo What advice would you give to someone who ' s planning to join the girl ' s volley- ball team for next vear? Carlene Rowe — Probably what I would say would be you have to be will- ing to work with people as a team. You have to work hard at practice so you can have good results. Girls volleyball team — Members are: Coach Ann Young, Debru Pelroy, Evelyn Cerritos, Carlene Rowe, Knieba Jones, Leslie Tioseco, Michele Morrison, Coach Cynthia Jackson. Girls Volleyball Sports 51