CALL TO ARMS : COACH SPIES ROSY SEASON.Byline: Bryan Winchell Special to the Daily News As a first-year coach leading a team that made a poor showing last season, Valencia High School Valencia High School may refer to:
Instill in·still v. To pour in drop by drop. in  stil·la tion n. a hard work ethic work ethicn. A set of values based on the moral virtues of hard work and diligence. work ethic Noun a belief in the moral value of work , teach the fundamentals, establish himself as the team's coach for years to come: These were just a few of the goals Ambrose set. But somehow, the Vikings have exceeded those modest expectations and started the season 3-1, including two convincing three-game victories over St. Genevieve and Littlerock. So now, after opening Foothill League play Tuesday night against Saugus, Ambrose is starting to really like his team's makeup makeup In the performing arts, material used by actors for cosmetic purposes and to help create the characters they play. Not needed in Greek and Roman theatre because of the use of masks, makeup was used in the religious plays of medieval Europe, in which the angels' faces . ``I didn't think we'd be 3-1 before league started,'' Ambrose said. ``Now, I think we have a very, very good shot at taking third in league (and going to the playoffs) if not better with the talent we have.'' The key to the Vikings' early success has been the play of junior middle blocker Kristin Webster Webster, town (1990 pop. 16,196), Worcester co., S Mass., near the Conn. line; settled c.1713, set off from Dudley and Oxford and inc. 1832. The chief manufactures are footwear, fabrics, and textiles. , junior outside hitter Lisa Cipressi and freshman middle blocker/opposite hitter Speedo An earlier scalable font technology from Bitstream Inc., Cambridge, MA (www.bitstream.com). Speedo fonts used the .SPD extension. See FaceLift. Edwards. When Valencia played Village Christian in the season opener, it trailed the Crusaders two games to one and 10-8 in the fourth game when Webster hit the floor hard on her chest. She was taken to the hospital and diagnosed with bruised bruise v. bruised, bruis·ing, bruis·es v.tr. 1. a. To injure the underlying soft tissue or bone of (part of the body) without breaking the skin, as by a blow. b. lung tissue and the team lost the game's final five points. After missing the St. Genevieve game, Webster returned and is leading the team with 25 kills. Also important is her presence at the net. At 6 feet, she is the team's tallest player and best blocker. ``With Kristin in the middle, other teams can't hit through her so they have to hit around her and usually that means right to our defenders,'' Ambrose said. Cipressi is often that defender, as she leads the team with 31 digs. Cipressi is surrounded sur·round tr.v. sur·round·ed, sur·round·ing, sur·rounds 1. To extend on all sides of simultaneously; encircle. 2. To enclose or confine on all sides so as to bar escape or outside communication. n. by a solid defense, including junior Jamie Cantwell (30 digs), senior Tina Federico (26 digs), senior Josie Chan (23 digs), and Edwards (20 digs). ``We don't have a huge team so we rely on defense,'' Ambrose said. Edwards is just a freshman, but has already grown into her 5-foot-9 body and may grow some more because her father stands 6-foot-4. What Ambrose likes about her is her maturity and intensity. ``She lights the fires under the girls,'' Ambrose said. ``She's not shy at all. When our energy is down, the only voice I hear is hers. She's very positive all the time.'' Edwards splits time in the middle with sophomore Jenny Sehenuk, who just needs experience to be a solid player. While Ambrose still believes the Foothill League title will reside at Saugus or Hart, he's confident that his team can give Canyon a run for third place and Saugus and Hart a challenge. ``We're inexperienced in·ex·pe·ri·ence n. 1. Lack of experience. 2. Lack of the knowledge gained from experience. in so we're going to have lapses of concentration now and then,'' Ambrose said. ``But I think we'll have a good game against Canyon. This team is progressing and coming along as a unit, which is what every coach hopes for.'' CAPTION(S): 2 Photos Photo: (1) Valencia High junior middle blocker Kristin W ebster, left, has been key in the team's success. (2) Surrounded by solid defense, Valencia junior outside hitter Liza Cipressi leads the team with 31 digs. Shaun Dyer/Special to the Daily News |
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