Freshman a Big Hit for Chapman Women’s Volleyball

Chapman freshman Shawna Parkinson came to the university from Reedley, a Central Valley town about 35 minutes south of Fresno, as much for the academic program as for volleyball.

Like many Chapman athletes, she was drawn by the school’s athletic training program. She also was happy to be able to continue playing volleyball competitively.

Although she was a strong all-around athlete at Reedley--lettering in volleyball, basketball and swimming--Parkinson didn’t figure to be an immediate standout at Chapman.

“I thought that maybe I could help out the program,” she said. “I had no idea I’d be helping so much.”

In fact, Parkinson leads the Panthers in virtually every statistical category--kills, attempts, digs, aces and blocks. She is averaging 17 kills and nine digs a match. Dani Foley, a freshman from Newport Harbor, is second on the team in kills with 12 a match.

Parkinson’s success stands in contrast to the Panthers’ record. Chapman is 4-19 with one match left, Friday at UC San Diego.

Despite the poor record, the team isn’t disheartened, said Coach Mary Cahill. The players understand this is a transitional year. The school’s athletic program is switching from NCAA Division II to Division III and this is the first season without players on athletic scholarship.

The schedule, however, still includes highly ranked Division II teams such as Cal State Bakersfield, UC Riverside and Cal Poly Pomona.

There also are signs of improvement. Late last month, the Panthers extended UC San Diego, ranked No. 2 in Division III, to five games before losing and then they beat La Verne and Occidental in consecutive matches.

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Parkinson says swimming is her best sport--she was third in the Central Section in the 100 breaststroke as a freshman at Reedley--but she won’t swim for Chapman. Swimming practice is not fun, and “I have to have fun with what I’m doing or else I can’t handle it,” she says.

So Monday she’ll join the women’s basketball team. At 5 feet 10, Parkinson will add needed height for the Panthers.

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Chapman’s basketball teams started practice Monday. Mary Hegarty, the first-year coach of the women’s team, takes over a squad that was 2-23 last season.

The Panthers return three starters, including leading scorer Melody Earle, a junior from Estancia. Earle, a 5-7 guard, averaged 16.4 points and 4.5 rebounds last season.

The team will be deep at guard--Heidi Sorour, a senior from Loara High and Saddleback College, and Sig Lo, a senior from Valencia High and Fullerton College, also return.

Hegarty says the Panthers will have to utilize the fast break and pressure defense to hide a lack of height. They open Nov. 26 at the Cal State Stanislaus tournament.

The men’s team is led by second-year Coach Mike Bokosky, who introduced 21 players at media day last week. Bokosky said he didn’t turn down anyone who was admitted to the university and wanted to play. To accommodate the extra players, Chapman will have a junior varsity for the first time in recent memory.

The varsity, which opens Nov. 26 at the Claremont tournament, will be led by the only returning letter winners, Rod Summers, a 6-4 senior forward from Fullerton College, and Aaron Cornell, a 6-0 senior guard.

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Hot streak: The Southern California College women’s volleyball team is making a late bid to make the NAIA District 3 playoffs.

The Vanguards (13-12, 5-6 in the Golden State Athletic Conference) won consecutive matches against nationally ranked teams last Friday and Saturday.

They beat then-No. 12 Cal Baptist in four games and No. 17 Point Loma Nazarene in five and moved into fourth place in the conference. Genevie Wright, a junior from Diamond Bar, was named the conference and district player of the week after recording 33 kills, 27 digs, 17 blocks and six aces.

Notes

Lance Barker, a Southern California College junior, was named the District 3 and Golden State Athletic Conference player of the week for men’s soccer after scoring three goals in three games. The Vanguards (10-9-1, 7-4-1) tied Azusa Pacific, 2-2, Tuesday to finish the regular season in a second-place tie with Point Loma Nazarene. They open the district playoffs against Point Loma Nazarene at home at 1 p.m. Saturday. . . . The Chapman women’s soccer team finished its season Monday by beating Biola, 3-0, giving the Panthers an 11-7-2 record, their best in school history. Cindy LeClair, from Katella High, was the team’s leading scorer with 21 points (eight goals and five assists). The Southern California College women’s soccer team finished its season Monday by recording its first point in the standings. SCC tied The Master’s, 0-0, in overtime to finish 0-19-1. . . . The Concordia men’s basketball team was picked to finish second after No. 1 Azusa Pacific in the GSAC in the preseason coaches’ poll. SCC was picked to finish fifth.