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Published on 12/02/1996 All articles from this issue

Intensity, fun are tops at St. Francis

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By Andy Nystrom / Town Crier Staff Writer

Prep volleyball

It starts off with a few laughs, and then segues into an intense three-hour workout that leaves the girls feeling drained and excited to be part of the St. Francis High volleyball program. And that's just a typical Lancer practice.

When game time comes, Coach Dave Gambelin isn't cracking jokes anymore. He's just as serious as his players, and that's one of the reasons why St. Francis recently notched its sixth Central Coast Section title in seven years and is gunning for another state crown. With last weekend's 15-3, 9-15, 15-10, 15-3 win at Albany, the Lancers (29-6) moved into yesterday's NorCal finals at Napa (33-1); the Division II state final is this Saturday at Cal State Fullerton.

"Practice is a lot of fun. (Gambelin) is easy going, and that makes it easy for us to do our thing," said 6-foot junior middle blocker Cathy Hansen. Added sophomore outside hitter Julie Mariani: "After practice I definitely feel so good, like we can accomplish anything every time we hit the floor."

And hitting the floor is one of St. Francis' specialties. In pregame warmups, Assistant Coach Heather Washington has the girls diving for balls and pushes them to reach their full potential, Hansen said. That hustle carries over into game situations in which Lancers are constantly on the ground and in the air trying to keep the ball afloat.

While St. Francis' main focus is on defense, powerful hitting and heads-up setting and passing are key weapons on offense. In the Albany win, 6-foot junior middle blocker Niki Hartley pounded 25 kills and sophomore outside hitter Stacy Millichap had 13; on the setting end, junior Jenny Strick amassed 37 assists.

Gambelin and Washington's knowledge of the game and competitive nature also gets the girls fired up about volleyball, Mariani said.

"They're good strategists. And they can look at the team and find our strengths and weaknesses, and say, 'Hey, what can she bring to the team?,' " she continued.

Hansen also noted that the pair puts in a ton of time preparing for matches by scouting the opposition and observing video tapes of the Lancers. With that dedication, St. Francis has won two state titles and six NorCal titles with Gambelin at the helm; the eighth-year coach was even named "Cal-Hi Sports" California state coach of the year in 1994.

Along with Gambelin's joke at the beginning of practice, a pre-game meeting at senior Kelli Sloan's house is another Lancer tradition. "It's just the girls. It's a team bonding where we visualize us playing our games and making good hits. It helps us to go out there and play every game," Hansen said. "We play with a lot of heart and dedication."

Along with the big guns in Hartley and Millichap, the Lancers can always rely on junior outside hitter Desiree Rook and a host of others. Sophomore twins Cindy and Chrissy Hirsch also got some court time in the recent CCS and NorCal playoff matches and proved that the future of St. Francis volleyball is in good hands.

"It takes everyone on the team to win. If you put teamwork and hard work into it, anyone can do it (succeed)," Mariani said.

"It takes everyone on the team to win. If you put teamwork and hard work into it, anyone can do it (succeed)."

- Julie Mariani