FIVE YEARS OF TOGETHERNESS; GIRLS CREDIT EXPERIENCE, CHEMISTRY FOR WESTLAKE'S RISE TO NO. 1.Byline: Jim Inghram Daily News Staff Writer The success the Westlake girls' volleyball team is enjoying today can be traced back five years ago, before any player on this year's team had entered high school. The core of this successful team, 28-3 and 13-0 in the Marmonte League The Marmonte League is a high school sports league primarily made up of schools from Ventura County. The Marmonte Leauge is part of the CIF Southern Section. Click here to view the league schedule. , began playing together at Colina Middle School Colina Middle School is a public school located in Thousands Oaks, California, United States, part of the Conejo Valley Unified School District. The motto is "Work Hard, Make Friends, and Have Fun." The school mascot is the Colina Cougar. during the 1992-93 school year. Led by last year's all-area and league most valuable player, 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. Brooke Rundle, and fellow seniors Erika Denison, Jamie Ghattas, Heather Hutchinson, Courtney Miller, Megan Mullen, Leigh O'Neill and Bridgett Tichauer, the team has captured the Westlake Tournament and finished runner-up in both the pretigious Durango Classic of Las Vegas Las Vegas (läs vā`gəs), city (1990 pop. 258,295), seat of Clark co., S Nev.; inc. 1911. It is the largest city in Nevada and the center of one of the fastest-growing urban areas in the United States. and Tournament of Champions in Santa Barbara Santa Barbara (săn'tə bär`brə, –bərə), city (1990 pop. 85,571), seat of Santa Barbara co., S Calif., on the Pacific Ocean; inc. 1850. . Westlake has already wrapped up the league title, its third including a 1995 co-championship. ``We've been together so long,'' Rundle said, ``that we all know where each other is and know what to expect from each other.'' Mullen, O'Neill, Rundle and Tichauer have played varsity each of their four years, Denison, Ghattas and Hutchison for three and Miller is in her second season. The group's unique chemistry is apparent to the underclassmen on the team. ``The starters have been together for so long that they really work together well,'' sophomore Stacey Lee said. ``It amazes me sometimes how they can anticipate what each other is going to do.'' Said sophomore Lauren Mills: ``Everyone is on par with each other.'' The team's other underclassmen are juniors Colleen col·leen n. An Irish girl. [Irish Gaelic cailín, diminutive of caile, girl, from Old Irish. and Shannon Keller. Coach Chris Rundle, Brooke's mother, agreed that experience is one of the team's greatest strengths. ``These girls have been playing together for awhile,'' Chris Rundle said. ``They tend to know what's happening with each other.'' Other parents agree. ``These girls have such great chemistry,'' Laverne Mullen said. ``I think being the best of friends helps them on the court, too. They have dinners together, they study together, they do social activities together. . . . It only helps them when it comes down to playing the game of volleyball.'' Years of experience have fueled the Warriors' rise to a No. 2 state ranking, No. 1 in Southern Section Division II-A. With the league title in hand, Westlake has set its sights on capturing a Southern Section and state title - and a little revenge. ``One of our goals is to hopefully play St. Francis (of Mountain View) in state,'' Lee said. ``We beat them in Las Vegas, but they beat us in Santa Barbara in the championship game. We'd definitely like to play them again. We know it will take a lot of things going right for it to happen, but we've worked hard and we definitely deserve being where we are.'' Said Brooke Rundle, who has committed to UC Santa Barbara: ``I think a CIF (1) (Common Intermediate Format) A standard video format used in videoconferencing. CIF formats are defined by their resolution, and standards both above and below the original resolution have been established. The original CIF is also known as Full CIF (FCIF). and a state title would be the perfect way to say goodbye to high school play.'' They'd certainly be richer for the experience. CAPTION(S): Photo Photo: Westlake top guns are, from left, Heather Hutchison Heather Hutchison (Nicknamed "Hez") (born August 6, 1988) is a singer-songwriter/pianist from St. Albert, Alberta, Canada. Early Life Heather Hutchison found her passion for music at a very early age. , Jamie Ghattas, Erika Denison, Megan Mullen and Brooke Rundle. Setter Rundle is headed to UCSB UCSB University of California at Santa Barbara UCSB University of Casual Sex and Beer . Gene Blevins / Special to the Daily News |
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