THE TIMES 1994 FALL ALL-COUNTY TEAMS : Criticism Adds Spark for DeVera : Athlete of the year: Comments from family, friends and coaches gave Villa Park sophomore tennis star a much-needed boost.

The high school season hadn’t even begun and Villa Park tennis coach Sue Gardiner was worried that her star player, sophomore Faye DeVera, was already burned out.

“It was about that time of year when she was getting really tired of tennis,” Gardiner said.

But instead of burning out, DeVera began burning up when she read in The Times what her friends, family and coaches were saying about her lack of desire for the game.

“It made me realize how little I was doing compared to other people,” DeVera said. “I couldn’t really argue with (the story), because I knew they were right.”

Gardiner said the story was the shot of adrenaline DeVera needed.

“That was a good start,” Gardiner said. “It made her mad, but it lit a fire under her. She got stronger. She stayed with her weight-lifting program and it made her a better player.”

It also made DeVera The Times player of the year this season--ending El Modena senior Brandi Freudenberg’s two-year reign as the county’s best girls’ tennis player.

DeVera didn’t have a bad season as a freshman--going 46-2 and winning the Century League singles title. But she was a more consistent and confident player this season, going 44-1 and reaching the quarterfinals of the Southern Section individual singles tournament. She also led the Spartans to their first Century League title since 1982.

“She was a consistent player the whole season, even against teams like Santa Ana Valley,” Gardiner said. “She wanted to play against everyone and that was good to see.”

Gardiner said she has coached talented players who didn’t want anything to do with practice or playing against teams with losing records.

“If you have somebody in the No. 1 position who sets a good example, that helps the rest of the team,” Gardiner said. “She’s one of the girls. She doesn’t want to be set up on a pedestal.”

Except for losses to Freudenberg and Palos Verdes Peninsula’s Amanda Basica, DeVera spent much of the season on a pedestal, however. And she was never higher up than she was in the first two rounds of the section individual tournament, where she won two matches without losing a game.

Still, DeVera said there is more work to do.

“I need work on my second serve and my transition game,” she said. “I’m still working on trying to step up to the next level.”