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Published on 08/28/1995 All articles from this issue

Sharpley sharpens up volleyball skills over summer

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By Andy Nystrom

Town Crier Sports Editor

Lisa Sharpley seems to be everywhere these days.

This summer the Los Altos volleyballer played on the United States National Team in Atlanta and competed in the U.S. Olympic Sports Festival in Colorado. And when the Stanford University women's volleyball programs arrived last week, there she was on the cover.

Sharpley, a 6-foot sophomore setter-outside hitter, and her Stanford teammates also have the preseason NCAA No. 1 ranking covered for the third consecutive year. Last year, the Cardinal beat UCLA in four games for the national title and finished with a 32-1 record.

"The whole season was awesome. It was everything I hoped for," Sharpley said last week before boarding a plane for a tournament in Nebraska. "I had a lot of fun ... every match and every day in practice."

Highlights during her inaugural season were the come-from-behind, third-game win against UCLA in the NCAA final and just being on the same court as the nation's top volleyball players.

"Being so close to Stanford, I'd go and see all the teams. It was amazing for me to be playing with and against them," she said.

And the pressure that might normally surface in these situations was nonexistent, mostly because she was a freshman on a squad of stars. "It was different than in high school when I was the leader," she said. "It gave me a chance to focus on my own game."

Like at Los Altos High, where she led the Eagles to the Central Coast Section title in 1993, the freshman All-American came through with some big numbers last year: 717 assists, 273 digs and 203 kills. She registered her season highs of 52 assists, 21 digs and eight blocks in those final UCLA games.

The 1995 version of the Cardinal has been training as a team for two weeks, and Sharpley is excited with what awaits this season. "Things are going really well. We've got the core of the team back and some 'new' (different) players are stepping up," she said.

But Sharpley, 19, is careful not to use the word "repeat" when mentioning Stanford's drive for another national championship, as if it might cast bad luck upon the team. "It's a whole new season. We've got a brand new fresh start."

Other key players to watch for include All-Americans Kristin Fokl, Marnie Triefenbach and Cary Wendell, who was also selected 1994 National Player of the Year.

On a personal level, Sharpley feels that with her National Team experience she is in better shape than ever. "My game has improved a lot and I'm confident and more focused," she said.

And she's glad to be back at Stanford after an intense volleyball summer, in which she played in the U.S.'s two wins over Italy. If it hadn't been for the squad's veteran setters, Sharpley might have stayed on for the 1996 Olympics, she said.

"I love it so much at Stanford. My best friends are on the team, it's a whole new family."

Stanford home schedule:

Sept. 4 - E. Michigan

Sept. 15 - Oregon St.

Sept. 16 - Oregon

Sept. 29 - Arizona

Sept. 30 - Arizona St.

Oct. 13 - U. of Houston

Oct. 16 - Notre Dame

Oct. 20 - UCLA

Oct. 22 - USC

Oct. 31 - UOP

Nov. 3 - U. of Wash.

Nov. 4 - Wash. St.

Nov. 7 - Cal

Nov. 21 - USF