PREP WEDNESDAY: FALL ALL-COUNTY TEAMS : Wacholder Has Been ‘All-Everything’ at Laguna Beach

As a freshman four years ago, Rachel Wacholder was a little intimidated by playing on the Laguna Beach volleyball team.

“It was weird,” she said. “I thought everyone was so big and so much better. I looked up to everyone. Now I can’t imagine anyone looking up to me because I’m so little.”

Although only 5 feet 8, Wacholder has amassed a long list of accomplishments, one that’s still growing even though her high school career is over.

Her last two seasons as Laguna Beach’s starting outside hitter have been decorated with just about every honor possible.

Among them:

--Two consecutive years on the Volleyball Monthly All-American team.

--A Mizuno All-American selection as a senior.

--Twice an All-Southern Section pick, leading the Artists to the 1991 Division I title and the 1992 finals.

--MVP of the 1992 State championship match.

--MVP of the 1991 Orange County Championships.

--Two-time Pacific Coast League MVP.

Wacholder can add another accomplishment to her resume. She’s The Times Orange County player of the year for the second consecutive season.

“She has so many awards it’s not even funny,” Laguna Beach Coach Mike Soylular said. “She’s all-everything.

“I’ve had a lot of fun coaching her the last two years. There’s no way Laguna would have gone as far as it did without her.”

Wacholder led Laguna Beach to the section and State championship matches this past season, where the Artists lost to Corona del Mar, the nation’s top-ranked team. She struggled in a three-game loss in the section final but rebounded in the State final with 23 kills and 27 digs.

Laguna Beach lost the first two games of the championship match, as Corona del Mar’s blocking held Wacholder to seven kills. But she pounded the Sea Kings during the next two games as Laguna Beach rallied to tie the match before Corona del Mar pulled away in the fifth game.

“We just had to keep playing, and we didn’t want it to end in three,” Wacholder said. “We didn’t want Corona to come in and have no competition.

“Everyone thought we were going to get killed. I wouldn’t have been happy going out that way.”

Instead, she played another outstanding match against a team and a coach she knows all too well.

Corona del Mar’s Lance Stewart coached Wacholder her first two years at Laguna Beach. Wacholder plays club volleyball with most of the Corona del Mar players, and is best friends with Sea King outside hitter Lori Newcomer.

“It was strange to be playing against them,” Wacholder said. “After (a play) I felt like going over and high-fiving (Corona del Mar’s) Kim Coleman.”

Wacholder averaged 27 kills a match last season, including a 55-kill performance in a five-game victory over Newport Harbor in the section semifinals.

In October, she committed to Colorado, an up-and-coming college program. Soylular, who coached at Virginia, said Wacholder will make an outstanding college player.

Wacholder will get a close-up look at the top collegiate players this weekend. She and Capistrano Valley Christian’s Karen Benkovsky will participate in the Mizuno high school all-star game in Albuquerque, N.M., which is played in conjunction with the NCAA final four.

After the trip, she’ll rejoin the Orange County Volleyball club team and start preparing for college. Colorado coaches told her she should get playing time as a freshman.

“I’m going to have to work hard in the club season to get a lot of my skills back. In the high school season, I lost a lot of my passing and defensive skills, and I need to get them back.”

It doesn’t surprise Soylular that Wacholder wants to be at the top of her game when she leaves for Boulder, Colo. She had the same attitude in high school.

“Sooner or later, she always comes forward and shows what she can do,” he said. “People see that and they say, ‘Wow.’ ”

All-County Girls’ Volleyball FIRST TEAM Player: Karen Benkovsky School: Cap. Valley Christian Yr.: Sr. Position: Outside hitter Comment: Named to Mizuno All-America team Player: Kathleen Bunce School: Cap. Valley Christian Yr.: Sr. Position: Outside hitter Comment: Led Eagles to 2nd State D-V title Player: Kim Coleman School: Corona del Mar Yr.: Jr. Position: Setter Comment: Led Sea Kings to No. 1 national ranking Player: Misty May School: Newport Harbor Yr.: So. Position: Outside hitter Comment: Led Sailors to State Division III title Player: Lori Newcomer School: Corona del Mar Yr.: Sr. Position: Outside hitter Comment: One of county’s best all-around players Player: Rachel Wacholder School: Laguna Beach Yr.: Sr. Position: Outside hitter Comment: Two-time county player of the year SECOND TEAM Player: Kristen Campbell School: Corona del Mar Yr.: Jr. Position: Setter Comment: Named to All-State tournament team Player: Rachel Hochgesang School: Sunny Hills Yr.: Sr. Position: Outside hitter Comment: Led Lancers to section Division II finals Player: Alicia Liniger School: Edison Yr.: Sr. Position: Middle blocker Comment: Led Edison to Regionals, top recruit Player: Heather Lowe School: Cypress Yr.: Sr. Position: Middle blocker Comment: Led Cypress to Empire co-championship Player: Shelly Smith School: Capistrano Valley Yr.: Sr. Position: Outside hitter Comment: Led Cougars to league title Player: Jennifer Stroffe School: Corona del Mar Yr.: Jr. Position: Outside hitter Comment: Had 17 kills in State title match Honorable mention: Lynette Anderson (El Modena), Stefanie Bakke (La Habra), Lisa Brown (Fountain Valley), Lori Bowers (Dana Hills), Allison Englebrecht (Corona del Mar), Dani Foley (Newport Harbor), Becca Foltz (Foothill), Nina Foster (Mission Viejo), Jenny Hecker (Newport Harbor), Deana Itow (Huntington Beach), Tishara Jespersen (El Toro), Hilary Kyle (Laguna Beach), Heather Lee (Mater Dei), Lynly Matsumoto (Kennedy), Jennifer Morris (Santiago), Courtney Owens (Calvary Chapel), Luann Petix (Los Alamitos), Caitlin Pickart (Corona del Mar), Sara Roberts (Calvary Chapel), Carolyn Sarnecki (Sunny Hills), Analisa Saylor (El Toro), Melissa Schutz (Newport Harbor), Amanda Schwer (Foothill), Brandy Smerko (Valencia), Bethany Stidham (Whittier Christian), Anne Swayne (Laguna Beach), Jeanne Vetter (Dana Hills), Jaime Wehrhan (Marina), Brooke Weaver (Edison).