Renfrow Joins the Rustler Mix

Julie Renfrow was muted when she joined the Golden West women’s volleyball program last year.

But this season, Renfrow is starting to make some noise.

The sophomore from Marina High is finally recovered from major knee surgery that limited her role on the team last season and she is also adjusting to the switch from middle blocker to outside hitter.

“I was out of it for that year,” Renfrow said, “but it’s coming back. I’m getting more aggressive and I’m talking more.”

Renfrow’s initial quietness wasn’t because she’s shy. It was just that she knew her place as a freshman, joining a program that had won five consecutive state titles.

Plus, Renfrow, who was the starting middle blocker at Marina High when the Vikings won Southern Section and state titles in the fall of 1997, wasn’t 100% because of her knee.

She had been hurt playing in a club tournament in the spring of her senior year.

Renfrow considered sitting out last season but was worried that if she stopped playing she might never start again. Coach Albert Gasparian told her he believed she could contribute.

Renfrow was a reserve and played mostly in the back row as the Rustlers capped an undefeated season by winning their sixth consecutive state title.

“I would say she was at about 75% but being involved with that team last year really helped her,” Gasparian said.

This season, Gasparian decided that Renfrow’s best chance for success would be at outside hitter. Renfrow, who is the daughter of Paul Renfrow, Marina’s athletic director and baseball coach, started playing volleyball seriously when she was about 15.

At the time she was 5 feet 9 and a natural to play middle blocker. But Renfrow has grown about an inch since. Once she got to Golden West, she realized she no longer had a height advantage.

“I see all the other middles and I’m looking up at them,” Renfrow said.

She said she never considered asking to be moved but liked the idea once Gasparian mentioned it.

The switch is common, according to Gasparian, and Renfrow has been getting better with each match. She leads Golden West in kills, digs and aces, and the Rustlers are ranked No. 1 in the state and are 13-0 overall.

“It’s just a different position,” Renfrow said. “I don’t know what it is but I just feel like I belong there.”

WOMEN’S GOLF

Orange Coast, led by sophomore Jennifer Tunzi, has won the Orange Empire Conference women’s golf title for the second consecutive year.

The Pirates and second-place Saddleback have earned berths in the Southern California playoffs, which are Nov. 7-8 at Menifee Lakes Country Club.

But there is one piece of business left for OCC before the playoffs: the Orange Empire Conference tournament, which starts Oct. 27. The two-round tournament will be played on the North course at Los Serranos in Chino Hills.

Orange Coast, which never had one of its top four golfers finish lower than 14th in a conference match, is the favorite.

MEN’S WATER POLO

The 31st Cypress men’s water polo tournament continues today with a field that includes five of the top eight teams in the state.

The teams were in pool play Friday and elimination-round games start today at 9. The title game is at 1:10 p.m.

The winner of Pool A is the tournament favorite. That pool is made up of No. 2 Golden West, No. 3 Riverside and No. 6 Grossmont.

Citrus, the state’s fourth-ranked team and No. 8 Cuesta are also in the field and join Orange Coast in Pool B.

Defending state champion West Valley is the top-ranked team in the state, but isn’t in the field.