TALENTED TRAVELER VENSKI WENT FAR FROM HOME TO REACH ATHLETIC POTENTIAL.Byline: Jill Painter Staff Writer Staci Venski and her dad, Mike, already logged plenty of miles and late nights to make the trek from California City to Canoga Park for club 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. twice a week. But for Venski, it wasn't enough. She wanted to become an Olympian. And she knew she had to practice every day. So she engineered a plan: move in with another family that lives close to Canoga Park. ``It's pretty shocking to have your 16-year-old come out and say that,'' said Patti Venski, Staci's mom. ``We've always been supportive of our kids' dreams and goals. But this was a huge thing for us to undertake. We talked about it and we found a family that was willing to open up their home.'' Venski left her friends at Mojave High and moved in with the Fair family. She went to Calabasas High her junior and senior years, although she never played volleyball there. It was a move dictated by academics as well. Two years later, Venski, a freshman middle blocker, will try to find a place in third-ranked USC's lineup as it competes in the Ball State Nike Classic beginning Saturday. ``It was hard, oh God, yes,'' Venski said. ``It was absolutely crazy. I would cry every second I thought about home or I was by myself. It's not that I didn't enjoy it, but I missed everything I'd known. ``But there's no doubt in my mind that if I didn't make some of those decisions, I couldn't be where I am now.'' Which is wearing the Trojans uniform and practicing alongside All-Americans April Ross and Katie Olsovsky. Venski's parents won't travel to Indiana this weekend, but her grandparents grandparents npl → abuelos mpl grandparents grand npl → grands-parents mpl grandparents grand npl , who live in the Midwest, will see her in a college uniform for the first time. Venski wasn't on heralded-recruit lists, but that's because she didn't play high school volleyball. Instead, she played on the Thunder team her junior year and for the Redondo Beach's Southern California Southern California, also colloquially known as SoCal, is the southern portion of the U.S. state of California. Centered on the cities of Los Angeles and San Diego, Southern California is home to nearly 24 million people and is the nation's second most populated region, Volleyball Club. But nothing she did could match the sacrifices her family made, especially her father. ``I walked into walls for two weeks (when she moved),'' Mike Venski said. ``I've coached her since she was in first grade. I'd done everything with her. We used to drive almost two hours one way to Canoga Park twice a week. ``I'd drive down there with her after work. She practiced from 7-10 and did her homework in the car and ate dinner. I took the center seat out of the van and that was her bedroom. I would drive home with toothpicks in my eyeballs The number of users. "There are 110 eyeballs" means there are 110 users currently online. See eyeball hang time. . But we've always been supportive of her. She's always been very committed and driven.'' Venski trained with the USA Youth National Team after her sophomore year of high school and played in the Dominican Republic Dominican Republic (dəmĭn`ĭkən), republic (2005 est. pop. 8,950,000), 18,700 sq mi (48,442 sq km), West Indies, on the eastern two thirds of the island of Hispaniola. The capital and largest city is Santo Domingo. . That's when knew she had to do anything she could to make the Olympics. She'll likely shoot for the 2008 team. But when it came time to choose a college, Venski agonized ag·o·nize v. ag·o·nized, ag·o·niz·ing, ag·o·niz·es v.intr. 1. To suffer extreme pain or great anguish. 2. To make a great effort; struggle. v.tr. over USC An abbreviation for U.S. Code. , UCLA UCLA University of California at Los Angeles UCLA University Center for Learning Assistance (Illinois State University) UCLA University of Carrollton, TX and Lower Addison, TX and Arizona. She once left her parents bags of M&M's - separated by the three schools' colors - and asked them to decide. Venski, a 6-foot-3 middle blocker, is unbelievably versatile. She played club soccer and volleyball until she was 16 and also played basketball. She can touch 10-foot-7 in a vertical jump. She's learning to play outside hitter as well. ``That shows you how focused she is,'' said USC coach Mick Haley, who was head coach of the U.S. women's team at the 2000 Olympics. ``She knows what she wants to do with her life. I know she'll do a good job in school and on the court. Plus, she's fun and is really good with her teammates. Everyone likes her. I think she's got all the right stuff.'' And maybe even the right stuff to start as a freshman. Last week, she had to sing a solo rendition ren·di·tion n. 1. The act of rendering. 2. An interpretation of a musical score or a dramatic piece. 3. A performance of a musical or dramatic work. 4. A translation, often interpretive. of USC's fight song at an athletic pep rally - the salute to Troy. Without the words. And with the football, soccer and cross country teams on hand. ``She stumbled through a couple of spots, but she gave a great effort,'' Haley said. ``I would've been mortified mor·ti·fy v. mor·ti·fied, mor·ti·fy·ing, mor·ti·fies v.tr. 1. To cause to experience shame, humiliation, or wounded pride; humiliate. 2. if they made me do that.'' But Venski has played on a national stage - on the USA youth and junior national teams - so this hardly was a problem. And Venski couldn't imagine being anywhere else. ``I absolutely love it here,'' Venski said. ``I never had a doubt after I decided to come here. Everyone's been wonderful. It was more than I expected.'' CAPTION(S): photo Photo: USC freshman middle blocker Staci Venski figured she needed to leave the Mojave Desert Mojave or Mohave Desert, c.15,000 sq mi (38,850 sq km), region of low, barren mountains and flat valleys, 2,000 to 5,000 ft (610–1,524 m) high, S Calif.; part of the Great Basin of the United States. to sharpen sharp·en tr. & intr.v. sharp·ened, sharp·en·ing, sharp·ens To make or become sharp or sharper. sharp her volleyball skills. Evan Yee/Staff Photographer |
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