Barboza Pulls In Witnesses to Court

Sometimes they come to cheer her and sometimes they come to jeer her, but Cynthia Barboza seems to draw a crowd whenever she steps onto a volleyball court.

Barboza was an alternate for the U.S. Olympic team last summer -- the only high school player on the national team -- and fans want to see just how good she is.

Rarely does she disappoint.

Barboza plays with power unlike anyone else in high school. Watching her hit a volleyball is an image burned into the minds of those who witness it, but her game is much more than that.

Control, finesse and court awareness also define her game and led to her selection as The Times’ girls’ volleyball player of the year.

Barboza, a 6-foot outside hitter for Long Beach Wilson, tallied 476 kills for the Bruins, who were 25-7 this season and reached the Southern Section Division I-AA semifinals.

“If you approach it in terms of talent, there is nobody on the high school level who can approach her,” Wilson Coach Susan Pescar said. “She’s pretty special.”

Some say she is among the best high school volleyball players of all time, and it would be difficult to argue. She played with the U.S. national team from January through the summer -- a rare invitation for a high school player -- and was one of the last players cut before the Athens Olympics.

“It was a little bit of a disappointment, but I know I gained so much from the experience,” Barboza said. “If I had to do it all over again, knowing I would be cut, I’d still do it.”

The Gatorade national player of the year as a junior and the co-most valuable player of Southern Section Division I this year, Barboza is equally impressive off the court.

Despite spending an entire semester away from school attempting to make the Olympic team, she maintained a 4.0 grade-point average and remains in contention for class valedictorian.

Barboza has signed with Stanford and said academic success is as important to her as athletic accomplishment.

“I don’t like Bs,” she said.

Her reputation as a top player often preceded her, and fans would pack gyms to see her play. Sometimes when she would hit the ball in the net or miss a shot down the line, she’d hear the jeers.

“It gets kind of annoying, but I guess it comes with the territory,” Barboza said. “Sometimes they are right. I shouldn’t be hitting into the net or out of bounds. Nobody puts more pressure on me about that stuff than I put on myself.”

Still, she was successful more times than not. Her attack efficiency this season was .537. In a match against Manhattan Beach Mira Costa, the eventual state Division I champion, she had 21 kills and a .840 hitting percentage.

“Nobody slowed her down,” Pescar said. “Teams would plan to avoid her, but it was so hard to do.”

Barboza was so dominant and could hit so hard that against lesser teams, Pescar let her play only short periods of time.

“I’d put her in because coaches on the other teams would tell me that their girls want to be able to say they played against her,” Pescar said. “But I was afraid she might hurt someone.”

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(BEGIN TEXT OF INFOBOX)

The Times’ All-Star

Girls’ Volleyball Team

FIRST TEAM

Cynthia Barboza Long Beach Wilson Sr. OH

Player of the year was dominant enough to share Southern Section Division I MVP honors even though her team lost in the Division I-AA semifinals. Signed with Stanford.

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Taylor Carico Mira Costa Jr. S

Versatile setter was MVP of Durango and Santa Barbara tournaments as well as the Bay League and had a team-best .536 hitting percentage.

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Mallorie Croal Mater Dei Sr. OH

Co-MVP of Southern Section Division III, the Notre Dame-bound senior was among state leaders with 521 kills and 660 digs.

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Alix Klineman Mira Costa So. OH

Top sophomore in the nation was MVP of state Division I tournament and co-MVP of Southern Section Division I for state champions.

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Sonja Newcombe Rim of the World Jr. MB

Named MVP of the Division III state tournament, she was among the state leaders in blocks with 236 and led team to first state title since 1983.

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Kelli Tennant Chaparral Sr. OH

USC-bound senior used dominant hitting skills to lead team to Southern Section Division I-A and Southern California regional finals.

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Coach of the Year: DaeLea Aldrich, Mira Costa

High expectations, unexpected losses and discipline problems hindered her team from early in the year, but Aldrich kept the Mustangs on course and guided them to their first state title since 1983.

SECOND TEAM

*--* Sue Carls Marymount Sr. MB Cassie Chamberlain Lakewood Sr. OH Ashley Engle Esperanza Jr. OH Rachel Lumsden Brea Olinda Jr. OH Rachael Moss Los Alamitos Jr. OH Jennifer Probert Buena Sr. MB

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