AIR AND HAIR TAFT LEAPER THROWBACK AND A FORCE.Byline: Vincent Bonsignore Staff Writer The first thing you notice about Taft of Woodland Hills volleyball volleyball, outdoor or indoor ball and net game played on a level court. An upright net, 3 ft (or 1 m) high, the top of which stands 8 ft (2.43 m) from the ground for men, 7 ft 4 1/8 in (2. standout Danielle Fernandes is the hair. It's big. Foxy Brown big. One look at Fernandes and you're taken back to the 1970s, when the Afro hairstyle was the thing. Close your eyes and you can hear George Clinton George Clinton may refer to:
Polish-born American biochemist whose research of deficiency diseases led to the discovery of vitamins, which he named in 1912. thumping in your ears. ``Oh man, you must be talking about the 'fro,'' said Westlake standout Rachel Smith Rachel Renee Smith (born April 18, 1985 in Panama) is a beauty queen from Clarksville, Tennessee who won the Miss USA pageant in 2007 [1] and who previously had competed in the Miss Teen USA pageant. Biography Rachel Smith was born on a U.S. , a teammate of Fernandes on the Santa Monica Santa Monica (săn`tə mŏn`ĭkə), city (1990 pop. 86,905), Los Angeles co., S Calif., on Santa Monica Bay; inc. 1886. Tourism and retailing are important, and the city has motion-picture, biotechnology, and software industries. Beach Club 18-1 travel team. ``Yeah, she's got it going on with the 'fro.'' A fashion statement? Perhaps. But others aren't so sure. ``I think she does it to make her look taller,'' Taft coach Arman Mercado For the hispanic surname "Mercado", please see de Mercado. Mercado first originated in Spain. In English it means 'market'. Is the last name of the 'Great' Fifa Soccer player Eswold. said. But Fernandes is 6-foot-1. ``Yeah, and with that 'fro she looks 6-3,'' Mercado said. True. Harvard-Westlake coach Jess jesse, jess a leather strap placed around each shank of a hawk used for hunting, for the attachment of a leash. Quiroz, a big fan of Fernandes, has a different opinion. ``I think she does it to intimidate in·tim·i·date tr.v. in·tim·i·dat·ed, in·tim·i·dat·ing, in·tim·i·dates 1. To make timid; fill with fear. 2. To coerce or inhibit by or as if by threats. her opponents,'' Quiroz said. ``And it works.'' Enough of the speculation. Danielle, what's up with the hair? ``Everybody wants to talk about the 'fro,'' Fernandes said, laughing. ``OK, here's the story. One day I'm looking at some old pictures of my mom and dad and I come across this one picture and, I mean, they've got some serious 'fros going on. So I was like, man, I have to do my hair like this.'' And so she did. ``I love it,'' Fernandes said. ``It fits me.'' Like the 'fro itself, the legend keeps growing and growing. It's now a statement, a source of conversation and a means of getting into an opponent's head, so to speak. ``She can definitely intimidate opponents, you see it all the time,'' Smith said. ``When she gets rolling, and she starts getting emotional, you can see the girls across the net get flustered flus·ter tr. & intr.v. flus·tered, flus·ter·ing, flus·ters To make or become nervous or upset. n. A state of agitation, confusion, or excitement. .'' Fernandes just laughs, something the personable PERSONABLE. Having the capacities of a person; for example, the defendant was judged personable to maintain this action. Old Nat. Brev. 142. This word is obsolete. middle blocker does quite a bit - when she's not staring stare v. stared, star·ing, stares v.intr. 1. To look directly and fixedly, often with a wide-eyed gaze. See Synonyms at gaze. 2. To be conspicuous; stand out. 3. down her opponents, or pounding them with floor-shaking kills or denying them on vicious blocks. ``Look, sports is definitely about intimidation, that's just a big part of it and volleyball is no different,'' Fernandes said. ``If you can rattle your opponent, hey, that's just going to make your job a little bit easier. The goal is to win, right?'' Yes. And winning is something Fernandes and Taft are getting used to these days. The Toreadors advanced to the City Section championship match last year, losing to Van Nuys, and this year the goal is a return trip and a different outcome. Fernandes, who has been offered scholarships by Miami and Kentucky, among others, is a big factor in that optimism. ``She's a tremendous player, a physically imposing player who works hard, has fun and knows how to play,'' Mercado said. ``She's big and strong, and she jumps out of the gym.'' Quiroz, one of the most respected coaches in the region, agrees. ``What's not to like? She has all the tools,'' Quiroz said. ``And she's such a tremendous athlete. She's definitely going to be a major-college player.'' Unlike most college-bound players, many of whom grow up around the sport, Fernandes is a relative newcomer, having played volleyball just two years. She was a basketball player before arriving at Taft. But she wanted to do something different once she got to high school, so she tried out for volleyball. ``I thought I'd give it a shot,'' Fernandes said. ``I had no idea this would all work out the way it has.'' Things started slowly - she sat the bench her sophomore year - but after a summer of club ball before her junior year, things picked up. ``That was an eye-opener for me, because I saw what I was capable of doing at a pretty high level of play,'' Fernandes said. ``After that, I really started developing as a player.'' Others have noticed. ``She's a heck heck interj. Used as a mild oath. n. Slang Used as an intensive: had a heck of a lot of money; was crowded as heck. [Alteration of hell. of a player, she has so much talent,'' said Smith, herself one of the top players in the region. ``I think the sky is the limit for her.'' Sort of like her hair. CAPTION(S): photo Photo: Taft's Danielle Fernandes, one of the top players in the area, wants another City Section title shot. Tom Mendoza/Staff Photographer |
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