ROYAL COULD BE TRIPLE THREAT IN MARMONTE ATKINS, GROVER, LEAHY LEAD PROMISING HIGHLANDERS TEAM LOOKING TO CATCH WESTLAKE.

Byline: Chris Cocoles Staff Writer

SIMI VALLEY - Royal High girls' volleyball coach Travis Ferguson anticipated seniors Nicole Grover and Jennifer Atkins, both third-year varsity players, would be team captains.

Then there's Lindsay Leahy, who unlike her fellow captains doesn't have experience on her side. In fact, Leahy strictly has been a lower-level performer through three years at Royal. Despite being a senior, she was an unlikely choice to earn a captain's role.

``She came in after not having any varsity experience,'' Ferguson said. ``Even girls who were on the varsity last year, were exceptionally enthusiastic about her being a leader on the team. They decided that she should be one of our captains. And they're right.

``She leads as well as Jen, she leads as well as Nicole. If there are any surprises, she's been, I guess, the sweetest surprise.''

And just maybe a more seasoned Highlanders team will surprise defending league champion and Southern Section-finalist Westlake. Royal was too young to get past the Warriors in 2002, losing both meetings and finishing 11-3 as the Marmonte League's runner-up.

But despite graduating three key seniors, the Highlanders (15-11) return a steady setter in Grover, two strong outside hitters in Leahy and Atkins and some size in the middle, including returning juniors Valerie Kepler and Christina Bussing.

``We're playing for a league championship every year,'' said Ferguson, whose 2002 team had five sophomores. ``Every team has its own personality, and youth can be a great advantage. There were a lot of times last year when our sophomores didn't know enough to be nervous.''

Now those sophomores, including outside hitter Stacy Sauck and back-row specialist Chelsea Adams, have an entire season against Royal's usually tough schedule on which to build.

``I learned that age doesn't really matter, because everyone on the team tried their best every day,'' Atkins said. ``It's just up to the players; it has nothing to do with their age.''

Such will be the case for Leahy, who despite being a senior will get her first taste of varsity play when the Highlanders open the regular season Sept. 16 at Santa Barbara.

``I have high expectations for ourselves,'' Leahy said. ``I think we're going to do awesome this year.''

Ferguson is confident in his team captains, who also are talented starters.

``They all have different strengths,'' he said of Grover, Atkins and Leahy. ``Nicole's more of a director; as a setter that tends to be apropos of us. Lindsay's more of the enthusiastic heart and soul of the team. She's very vocal and makes a lot of great defensive plays. And then Jen doesn't say a whole lot of with her mouth, but says a whole lot with her play.

``I think their comfort levels are above and beyond what would even be expected. They know what happens, they know what the first day of practice is like. They know what the first day of practice will be like after we lose a game.''

Royal figures to win plenty more than it loses with a veteran group. But the Highlanders still are rather young, with several juniors expected to play significant roles, so they should be Marmonte League contenders beyond 2003.

``I think the character of the kids gets molded in the course of every year,'' Ferguson said. ``Through more wins or less wins and more losses or less losses. The character of the team is tested in different ways. I thought we had a high character team last year.

``They responded well to the way the year went. And I think we have a high character team this year that will respond well to winning a bunch of games, or will respond well when inevitably we fall short, get beat. It's going to happen.''

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Photo:

Royal senior Jennifer Atkins, one of three co-captains, is a returning outside hitter for the Highlanders, who finished second in the Marmonte League last season.

Andy Holzman/Staff Photographer

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GIRLS' VOLLEYBALL PREVIEW