Coach Grandpa Helps Swell Roster at Fountain Valley

Ray Bray’s telephone will sometimes ring at 5 a.m. On the other line will be his granddaughter Elisabeth Miller.

“She’ll say, ‘I’m coming to your house to get a ride to workout,’ ” Brady said.

Good morning, coach.

Elisabeth is the latest of Bray’s family in the pool at Fountain Valley High, where he has spent 31 seasons as the Barons’ coach. His last child swam for him in 1992 and now the grandchildren have started showing up.

Elisabeth, a junior, transferred late last year from Hemet and is one of the Barons’ top distance swimmers, specializing in the 500-yard freestyle.

“I’ve had child at Fountain Valley from 1972 through 1992,” said Bray, 60. “All participated in swimming.”

Andy Miller, Elisabeth’s father, was the first, although he was adopted by the Brays when he was in high school.

“He was having some family problems and I wanted to help,” Ray Bray said. “I told my wife, ‘I’m bringing one of the boys home,’ and she said, ‘OK.’ ”

So Andy became the oldest of four children--three boys, one girl. He was an All-American swimmer at Golden West College and also swam for Florida.

“It has been a fantastic relationship,” Ray Bray said. “Because he was the oldest in our family, he became the leader.”

Now, Ray is coaching Andy’s daughter.

“I grew up on a pool deck,” Elisabeth said. “I started swimming in clubs, but I decided just to swim for my grandfather. He knows me and what my workouts are and we have fun.”

Andy, a fireman in Hemet, moved his family to Fountain Valley last spring, and the swimming was just one of the perks. He spent a year commuting before landing a job with the Orange County Fire Department.

“I used to come to [Fountain Valley] practices during spring break, because we had a different week off in Hemet,” Elisabeth said. “We’d hang out and swim. When we moved here, it was so much better.”

Because of the coaching, right?

“We were by the beach,” Elisabeth said.

Elisabeth was ineligible under Southern Section transfer rules last season, but she had reached the section championships in the 500 and 200 freestyles while a freshman at Hemet.

“She is on track to make her [section] standards,” Ray Bray said. “She’s a very hard worker. It makes me proud to see her drive and spirit.”

Keeli Miller, Elisabeth’s younger sister, will be a freshman at Fountain Valley next fall.

“The other kids think it’s kind of weird to have a relative as coach,” Elisabeth said. “They always call him Mr. Bray. But on the pool deck, I’ll yell, ‘Hey grandpa!’ ”

FOREIGN AFFAIRS

Tustin’s Mike Cavic and Canyon’s Erin Volcan, both sophomores, are looking overseas to fulfill their Olympic dreams.

Cavic will compete in the European Championships in Helsinki this July in an attempt to qualify for Yugoslavia. He nearly made the team in the 100-meter butterfly last month, with a time of 55.32 seconds at the national championships in Federal Way, Wash. The qualifying time for the team is 55.25.

Volcan, meanwhile, missed Canyon’s meet against Villa Park last week because she was in Argentina trying to qualify for the Venezuelan Olympic team.

FAMILY MATTERS

The Comanches didn’t exactly crumble without Volcan, mainly due to her older sister’s performance.

Senior Lauren Volcan, who also was a standout on the Canyon girls’ water polo team, won the 100 and 50 freestyles and was part of the winning 400 freestyle relay team against Villa Park. The eighth-ranked Comanches won the meet, 87-83.

LOOKING AHEAD

In the Serra League, Servite/Rosary swims against Santa Margarita today at El Toro High at 3:15.

The Savanna Invitational will be Saturday at Savanna High, with the finals beginning at 9 a.m.

If you have an item or idea for the prep swimming report, you can fax us at (714) 966-5663 or e-mail us at chris.foster@latimes.com