EYE ON VOLLEYBALL FOCUS IS DIFFERENCE FOR EX-HART STANDOUT.

Byline: Lauren Gustus Staff Writer

Leslie Smith of Hart High knew she had to make a choice. But as an agile 6-footer, she was deciding between two appealing options.

Option A included a burnt-orange Spalding, layups and bounce passes, and the prospect of spending her summer months playing AAU ball. Option B contained a white Wilson, spikes, serves and spandex, and the prospect of spending her summer months playing with a club team.

``I was dedicating just enough time to both sports,'' the basketball and volleyball player said. ``But not enough to either.''

Smith had the athleticism and talent to be a standout in either sport, but she went with Option B. She wanted to concentrate on making herself an exceptional volleyball player, so she joined the Santa Monica Beach Club (SMBC) volleyball team and quit basketball. For two years, Smith has played for the under-18 team at SMBC, which is coached by Turhan Douglas, who is also the men's volleyball coach at USC.

``I got her right as she started committing to volleyball,'' Douglas said. ``I think it was a great decision.''

SMBC, along with other area club teams, will travel to Davis next week for the annual Davis Festival, which starts Monday and features more than 800 teams from all over North America. The festival is considered the premier girls' high school tournament of the club season, with dozens of college coaches there to scout for talent.

Smith quit playing basketball for Hart this year to focus on volleyball, and without her Hart did just fine, advancing to the Southern Section Division I-A playoffs. Although Hart eventually lost to San Clemente 67-60 in the championship game, the team was happy with its showing, and Smith wondered what might have happened if she had continued playing.

Who said making choices was easy?

``It was a tough decision and I miss it, but it's for the best,'' Smith said. ``In volleyball you bump, you spike, but it's more than that. There is a mental toughness. It was more of a challenge for me to become better (at volleyball), so I did it.''

Smith had one major problem when she first started playing for Turhan. The outside hitter was goofy-footed.

Usually a term reserved for surfers and skateboarders, goofy-footed athletes put their left foot forward if they are right-handed, and vice versa. In other words, Smith had the approach of a left-hander but was right-handed.

``Being goofy-footed takes away your power so far as being able to rotate your shoulders to hit the ball,'' Douglas said.

Smith worked with Douglas to correct her footwork.

``Turhan told me it was one of the hardest things to be fixed,'' Smith said. ``But he promised me by the time I finished my first year at SMBC it would be right.''

Since the transition, the court has opened up for Smith, who according to Douglas plays the game with high levels of steadiness and intelligence.

``She has become, in my opinion, one of the smartest volleyball players around,'' Douglas said. ``She's one of the most steady players I've ever coached. Everybody makes mistakes, but great players don't make two mistakes in a row.''

Smith and her SMBC teammate, Lizelle Jackson, will play for Cal State Los Angeles next year. Both are excited to continue playing together, and bring an added edge to Cal State L.A. because they already are familiar with each other's style of play.

``Leslie has excellent skills in ball control as well as serve/receive and is a tremendous competitor,'' Cal State L.A. coach Bill Lawler said.

In 2001, SMBC placed 31st out of 400 teams at Davis, battling injuries that kept it from getting to the round of 16. This year's team thinks it can improve on that.

``Last year we ended up on the short end of the stick,'' Smith said. ``But this year we have a really incredible team. We want to win the tournament or at least finish in the top eight.''

AT A GLANCE

What: Davis Festival

Who: Top girls' volleyball players nationwide, including players from the santa clarita valley 

When: Monday-June 29

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Leslie Smith decided to concentrate on volleyball and the move has paid off - the former Hart High player earned a scholarship to play at Cal State Los Angeles and will participate in the prestigious Davis Festival next week.

Joel P. Lugavere/Special to the Daily News

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AT A GLANCE (see text)