2002 PREVIEW: GIRLS' VOLLEYBALL: CANYON GOOD, BUT IS GOOD GOOD ENOUGH?Byline: Rich Hammond Rich Hammond Los Angeles Daily News sports writer. Instrumental in bringing the Los Angeles Kings hockey organization closer to the fans. He is the atypical "what a guy" to Kings fans everywhere. Rich Hammond on himself. Staff Write CANYON COUNTRY - It's a comment on the overall strength of the Foothill League that a team as strong as the Canyon High girls' volleyball team can probably expect to finish third in league. The Cowboys expect to field their best team in the past several seasons, but while they should make the playoffs, it will take a special year for the Cowboys to overtake o·ver·take tr.v. o·ver·took , o·ver·tak·en , o·ver·tak·ing, o·ver·takes 1. a. To catch up with; draw even or level with. b. To pass after catching up with. 2. Saugus and Valencia for the league title. The Cowboys see it as a challenge, rather than a negative. ``We had been second or third in the past couple of years,'' said coach Dave Gutierrez, whose team finished 4-9 last season, ``and we've won more league championships total than anybody, so I don't think there's any mental block. ``We're gunning for it, and we're looking forward to it. Saugus has the mystique mys·tique n. An aura of heightened value, interest, or meaning surrounding something, arising from attitudes and beliefs that impute special power or mystery to it: the cowboy mystique; the mystique of existentialism. and always has people talking them up, but they tend to start strong and not have much left at the end.'' Gutierrez calls this group ``one of the most talented volleyball teams I've ever been involved with,'' and that's not just coaching bluster. The Cowboys should challenge for the title. Most important might be the return of outside hitter Breanna Trudeau, who was academically ineligible but is back as one of six seniors in the starting lineup For the line of action figures, see . A starting lineup in sports refers to the set of players actively participating in the event when the game begins. The players in the starting lineup are commonly referred to as starters, whereas the others are substitutes . ``She will make a difference,'' Gutierrez said. ``Last year we lost a couple of close games. We didn't get destroyed, but we just didn't have that last little punch.'' The Cowboys return strong outside hitter Mari Ruddick, whose play has been bolstered by a strong season of club volleyball. Ruddick and Trudeau will have to make up for the departure of hitter Heather Seddon, who quit the team last month to focus on academics, according to according to prep. 1. As stated or indicated by; on the authority of: according to historians. 2. In keeping with: according to instructions. 3. Gutierrez. To provide depth, the Cowboys will rely on senior outside hitter Kodie Arnold and junior middle blocker Colleen col·leen n. An Irish girl. [Irish Gaelic cailín, diminutive of caile, girl, from Old Irish. Deagon, who spent last season on the junior varsity junior varsity n. Abbr. JV A high-school or college team that competes in interschool sports on the level below varsity. Noun 1. . Senior Haley Mays returns for her second season as starting setter setter: see sporting dog. setter Any of three breeds derived from a medieval hunting dog that would set (lie down) when it found birds so that it and the birds could be covered with a net. Setters have long hair on the ears, chest, legs, and tail. . ``Mari is a strong option,'' Gutierrez said. ``She's a good, strong blocker, and she hits a ton. ``Breanna is a strong jumper, and she hits the ball hard. She could have been our best middle (blocker), but we moved her outside because she's not that tall. She will probably have a bit of a slow start, but this should get her some more looks (from colleges).'' The Cowboys have a challenging nonleague schedule that includes games against Highland, Moorpark, Alemany of Mission Hills and Quartz Hill, all potential Southern Section playoff play·off also play-off n. Sports 1. A final game or series of games played to break a tie. 2. A series of games played to determine a championship. Noun 1. teams, as well as appearances in the Ventura, Carpinteria and Sylmar tournaments. Gutierrez begins his fifth season with Canyon, and he thinks he's ready to lead the Cowboys back to the playoffs, at least. ``This is the first group of seniors that I really hand-picked and have some history with,'' Gutierrez said. ``I hope this season will bring the fruit of that labor. ``It's not going to be easy, with all the girls in the area who play club now. The talent is really spread out, and I think this league is one of the best in all of Southern California Southern California, also colloquially known as SoCal, is the southern portion of the U.S. state of California. Centered on the cities of Los Angeles and San Diego, Southern California is home to nearly 24 million people and is the nation's second most populated region, .'' CANYON Coach: Dave Gutierrez 2001 record: 4-9 League finish: Fourth Playoffs: Did not make playoffs Key returnees: Mari Ruddick (Sr., outside hitter); Breanna Trudeau (Sr., outside hitter); Kodie Arnold (Sr., outside hitter) Top newcomer:Colleen Deagon (Jr., middle blocker) CAPTION(S): box Box: CANYON (see text) |
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