Wright Is Weary, but She Perseveres for SCC Volleyball

Southern California College volleyball standout Genevie Wright didn’t want to miss a moment of her senior season, so a doctor’s advice was put on hold.

Wright was told last month that sometime previous to that she had had mononucleosis and was still feeling the effects of the virus. The diagnosis explained why Wright had been so sluggish and sleeping so much.

But when the doctor suggested that Wright rest for two weeks, her reaction was strong.

“Not during our season, this is my senior year,” Wright said. “I want to be out there for every game.”

Wright’s perseverance helped the Vanguards reach the final four of the NAIA Far West Region tournament.

Friday, third-seeded SCC (18-10) will play No. 1 Fresno Pacific (22-7) in one semifinal and No. 3 Biola (17-11) and No. 2 Azusa Pacific (21-9) will play in the other. The winners will play Saturday for the title. The two finalists will advance to the NAIA national championships, Nov. 30-Dec. 3 in Chattanooga, Tenn.

Wright, a 5-foot-10 middle blocker, has tried to limit the effects of the illness by sleeping as much as possible. She usually takes a couple of short naps each day, especially before practices, matches and night classes.

Even so, she still grows weary in five-game matches. “Sometimes, I tell (Coach) Eric (Boyles), ‘I need a 30-minute timeout,’ ” Wright said, laughing.

Wright, selected to the All-Golden State Athletic Conference team this week, is one of many SCC players who have performed at less than 100% this season. In fact, only one starter has been at full strength all season.

That’s why it’s somewhat surprising the Vanguards have advanced this far for the first time.

“I see the smallest, least-experienced team in the conference,” Boyles said. “And they keep coming back at you. They’re like a bad cold, they just keep coming back.”

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Wet head? Chapman’s water polo team qualified for the Western Water Polo Assn. championships, and as the seventh-seeded team, the Panthers will play No. 2 UC San Diego at 4 p.m. Friday at Claremont-Mudd-Scripps.

The winner of the tournament receives a bid to the NCAA championships next week at Belmont Plaza in Long Beach.

“We have the ability to beat anybody,” Chapman Coach Rod Hormell said. “I told them that I will shave my head if they win the tournament, which means we would play in the NCAAs and I would be the whitest, ugliest mother you’ve ever seen.”

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NAIA cross-country: The Southern California College men’s team will run in its first national championship race Saturday in Kenosha, Wis., and the Vanguards hope to finish better than their national ranking (18th).

Jason Schaefer, who ran in the meet last year as an individual, Jonathan Bischop, Tim Hardin, Wes Hinson, Dan Palmer, Brian Pratt and Jason Goddard will run for SCC.

“They want to perform well and prove to the rest of the NAIA that they are worthy of being there,” SCC Coach Bryan Wilkins said.

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Football wrap up: Without a conference, Chapman’s football team is shut out of most postseason honors, but because the Panthers played every Southern California Intercollegiate Conference school with a football team, some comparisons can be drawn.

If Chapman, which plans to again apply for admission to the conference, were a SCIAC team this season, the Panthers would have finished fourth behind La Verne, Redlands and Occidental.

The Panthers’ final statistics put them in second place in the conference in rushing offense (251.8 yards per game) and scoring (37.8) and third in total offense (398.3). They would be fourth in total defense (321.2)--second in rushing defense (105.4) and last in passing defense (215.8).

Chapman doesn’t fare so well in the statistics, although several players had impressive seasons.

--Quarterback Curtis Robinson finished with 469 yards rushing and 719 yards passing. He accounted for 17 touchdowns, eight rushing and nine passing.

--Darnell Morgan, Chapman’s leading rusher, gained 691 yards and scored nine touchdowns.

--Terrance Green, the top receiver, caught 22 passes for 523 yards and six touchdowns.

Notes

The Southern California College men’s and women’s basketball teams open the season Friday. The men play Cal State Los Angeles in a tournament at The Master’s College in Newhall, and the women play in the Cal Poly Pomona tournament. . . . Chapman volleyball players Shawna Parkinson, Lori Fuller and Shanea Bishop were named to the NCAA Division III All-West Regional team by the American Volleyball Coaches Assn.