Just Preps : A Duck Out of Water in Long Beach

She is one of the most honored high school volleyball players in Oregon, and Jaimi Gregory was especially looking forward to her senior year at Eugene Sheldon High.

Sheldon was coming off a season in which it advanced to the semifinals of the major division in the state tournament. And Gregory, the team’s star player, was being recruited by most of the top colleges in the nation.

Her father, Gerry, was the popular women’s volleyball coach at the University of Oregon. He often coached his daughter on club teams in the off-season.

What seemed an ideal situation, however, was turned upside down last spring when Gregory lost his job. Even though Oregon had been ranked in the top 20 in six of the nine years Gregory was coach, the Ducks had three tough seasons in a row and finished last in the Pacific 10 Conference in 1994.

With no other college coaching positions available to him at the time, Gregory looked to the high school ranks and an opportunity to work with his daughter one more time.

After speaking with family members in Southern California, where he grew up, Gregory learned of an opening at Long Beach Wilson High. He applied and accepted the job after being promised a teaching position.

For Jaimi, a 5-foot-9 outside hitter who grew up on the court, the transition has been difficult.

“My parents gave me the option to stay in Oregon for my senior season and live with family friends,” said Jaimi, 17. “I miss my friends a lot, but I would have missed my family a lot more. I couldn’t stay behind.”

Jaimi said the first few days of school were hard because she didn’t know anyone and was homesick. She said she would often walk into a new class and start crying.

Each day gets a little easier, and Jaimi said she has found solace on the volleyball court, playing the game she loves and making new friends.

It has also been a comfort for Jaimi, having her dad at the same school. In addition to coaching volleyball, Gerry teaches biology.

“Coaching volleyball is really not that different from the college to high school level because the game is the same and athletes tend to be self-motivated people,” said Gregory, 43, who played on the U.S. national team from 1974 to ’79 before becoming a coach. “To be honest, the biggest adjustment for me has been spending my days in the classroom. I’m finding that not all students work as hard as most student-athletes.”

The arrival of the Gregorys has brought renewed interest to Wilson’s volleyball program. Although the school has fared well in the past, it has struggled in recent seasons. Turnout was high for a recent practice, and Gerry and Jaimi seemed to fit in as if they had been with the team for years.

Jaimi and Melissa Trueblood, another college prospect, have played instrumental roles in helping the Bruins to a 5-0 record and No. 6 ranking in the Southern Section’s Division II poll. They expect to compete with Long Beach Poly for the Moore League title.

Because Jaimi made a name for herself playing on junior national and traveling club teams, the move south has not affected her being recruited. She visited Notre Dame two weeks ago and plans to spend a weekend at Stanford later this month.

“It isn’t easy, moving to a new city before your senior year of high school,” Jaimi said. “But I’m learning to make the best of my new situation. Everything in life happens for a reason, so I’m sure it’ll turn out OK.”