North Gets Organized, Beats South

NEWPORT BEACH — Take a group of star players, give them enough practice time for introductions and a handshake, then try to get them to play as a team. Sounds much easier than it is.

That’s why all-star exhibitions often reveal more about coaching ability than they do about the players.

Such was the case in the Orange County High School girls’ volleyball all-star match Friday at Newport Harbor High.

The North team, coached by Cammy Ciarelli of Huntington Beach, Jim Downey of Calvary Chapel and Pete West, formerly of Mater Dei, defeated the South, 21-18, 21-11, 18-21, in a three-game, rally-scoring exhibition.

Sure, the North had several big, hard-hitting players such as Melissa Wendt of Huntington Beach, Roberta Gehlke of Mater Dei and Jenny Roberts of Calvary Chapel. But it was their organized play and ball control--credit setter Katie Lindquist of Ocean View--that helped them jump to an early lead and quickly secure a victory.

“We passed the ball better and played a little better defense,” West said.

For West, this was the final high school match, at least for awhile. West, who led the Monarchs to the Southern Section semifinals and the second round of the State tournament this season in his second season as coach, resigned in January to pursue a career in architecture.

It might be difficult for West, who also coaches at the Orange County volleyball club, to stay away from high school volleyball for too long.

“This, to me, is fun. It’s not something I have to do, it’s something I want to do.”

Gehlke, bound for UC Santa Barbara this fall, had five kills and was selected the most valuable player of the match. Wendt, headed for UCLA this fall, had six kills in the first game to spark the North to a victory.

The North used that momentum to win the second game. The South broke a 6-6 tie in the third game and won it with a kill by San Clemente’s Paige Spaulding, who will attend Nevada in fall.

The evening, however, was less about winning and more about celebrating four years of excellence.

“The [best] thing is playing with girls that you have seen for so many years [on the other side of the net],” said Mater Dei’s Amy Orr, who finished the night with five kills for the North. Orr will attend Radford University in Virginia this fall.