THE TIMES ALL-COUNTY TEAMS : GIRLS’ VOLLEYBALL : It’s All Up and Down for Adams

The Amazing Exploding Smile once again makes its way across Mindee Adams’ face, announcing yet another transition in the conversation.

Adams is not one given to moods, but after four years on that high school roller coaster known as the Woodbridge volleyball team, she and her face have learned to adjust.

The 1986 season was . . . wonderful.

Four years ago, Adams had played on a Woodbridge team that won four games. This year she led the Warriors to an undefeated regular season (15-0), the Orange County Championship title and the Pacific Coast League title.

Horrible.

The Warriors came that far, only to self-destruct in the 5-A semifinals against Port Hueneme. Adams remembers faulty passing throughout the match and frayed nerves after Port Hueneme won the first two games rather easily.

Her personal accomplishments were . . . fantastic.

Adams was named the most valuable player of the Orange County Championships and the Pacific Coast League. She was named All-Southern Section 5-A and chosen to the Prep National All-Star team in August.

A middle blocker, she is The Times’ girls’ volleyball Player of the Year.

Unfulfilling.

After all the awards, Adams still thinks her career ended much too abruptly.

“The last game was like a bad dream,” Adams said. “The game just ended. Someone bumped a ball out of bounds and that was it. The whole season over like that. It was weird. . . .

“After all I’ve been through at this school, it was a pretty big shock for it just to end like that.”

What she has been through started six years ago when she was in the seventh grade.

Adams had arrived in Irvine after living in Florida, where she had “never heard of the game.”

Because she was 5-feet 11-inches, she was encouraged to join a club volleyball team. Her debut was less than spectacular.

“Thank goodness they based the tryouts on athletic ability, not volleyball ability, or I would have been cut,” Adams said.

FIRST TEAM MIDDLE BLOCKERS

Mindee Adams Woodbridge Senior Tracy Krueger Newport Harbor Senior

OUTSIDE HITTERS

Jenny Evans Newport Harbor Junior Elaine Youngs El Toro Junior

SETTERS

Loren Newman Woodbridge Senior Temre Kuester Marina Senior

SECOND TEAM

OUTSIDE HITTERS

Cari Delson Irvine Junior Allyson Mattox Woodbridge Senior Bev Oden Irvine Soph. Robin Seabrook La Habra Junior

SETTERS

Kim Brower Capistrano Valley Senior Rhonda Schnitger Corona del Mar Junior