Links to other sites on the Web
Proffitt, Finicle earn honors
By Chris Garner
WABASH, Ind. — At a mere 5-foot-4, Southwood's Gina Proffitt
doesn't stand out in a crowd of volleyball players, but put the ball in
her hands and she proves night after night why she is precisely that
— a volleyball standout.
The senior setter for the VolleyKnights capped her brilliant high
school career by garnering an unprecedented third consecutive title
as Wabash County's Player of the Year as voted by the coaches.
The typically quiet Proffitt continued to shrug off her accolades,
instead preferring to give credit for her award to her teammates.
Over the course of her four years as a starter, Southwood has won
106 of its 143 matches.
"I think it's more because of our team's success," Proffitt said of her
being chosen. "The position I play kind of reflects that, too. It's a
crucial position and you have to be there."
Be there she has been for the VolleyKnights, and the career numbers
and school records for Proffitt are astounding.
During her stay at Southwood, Proffitt recorded 2,321 assists on
6,402 attempts with 970 service points and 157 aces on 1,657
attempts, all school records. She also holds single-season records for
points (305, 1999), assists (699, '98) and sets (1,837, '97). Proffitt has
the top three marks — including this year's record 99.1 percent —
for best percentage of successful sets.
More importantly, Proffitt has also helped guide Southwood to four
straight sectional championships and back-to-back regional
championships in 1997 and 1998.
"From the first time I ever saw the kid, she has had a ball in her
hands," says her coach Tom Finicle, who was named Coach of the
Year for the fourth straight time and his 12th in the 12 years he's
been coach of the VolleyKnights.
"Like I'm sure Larry Bird did as a kid, she'd go out and make up
games for herself and put herself in game situations," Finicle
continued. "She was playing a game in her head where she had to
make a play. Consequently, she's made a lot of those plays.
"She's a court-smart player with an incredible work ethic; all of our
girls have a great amount of respect for Gina."
Also named to the first team along with Proffitt were classmates
Hayley Bozarth, Megan Garner and Stephanie Tyson; junior Jessica
Hicks of Manchester, Northfield juniors Rachel Fleck and Abby
Wilson and Wabash senior Jan Eichenauer. All but Fleck and Wilson
are repeat members to the first team.
This season, Finicle coached his 300th career win and improved his
overall record to 309-114 (.730) including this year's 32-4 mark while
guiding Southwood to a No.4 ranking in Class 2A.
Proffitt, Bozarth, Garner and Tyson amassed career totals of 2,096
kills, 1,274 points, 230 aces and 596 blocks with 207 stuff blocks.
Bozarth, who was a second-team pick as a sophomore, has been the
model of consistency with 238 kills last year and 244 this time
around. She raised her kill efficiency from .316 in 1998 to .375 this
year. The 5-foot-9 middle hitter also finished the season with 144
blocks and 47 stuffs.
Garner, a 5-foot-8 outside hitter, had a breakout season for Finicle
and the VolleyKnights. She set school records for both attacks with
657 and kills with 270, more than 3.5 kills per game. Shifted to a
backcourt role as well as hitter this season, Garner collected 167
points and 39 aces. She and Proffitt were the only two unanimous
picks to the all-county squad and Garner received one vote for
Player of the Year.
Tyson, a four-year letterman and member of the first team for the
third consecutive time, battled injury (knee) and a new position
(middle hitter) and still managed to record 136 kills on 350 attempts,
a .260 kill efficiency. She also had 83 blocks and 29 stuffs.
"These kids are great kids," Finicle said. "I get to do what I do and
be at a stature I'm at because of what they do. That's basically what
it boils down to.
"We had dedicated kids that were willing to give it up and work extra
hard. That is why I get to be recognized by my fellow coaches and
why we have the success we've had."
Eichenauer, another three-time first-teamer who struggled through
an injury, was the other vote-getter for Player of the Year. After a
severe ankle sprain Aug. 19, she had 113 kills in just 34 games for
the Lady Apaches, an average of 3.32 per game and a kill efficiency
of .377. Eichenauer also had 56 digs and 84 serve receptions while
being named to the All-Central Indiana Conference team. She was
all-county honorable mention as a freshman.
Hicks returns to the first team with 115 kills on 347 attempts and 66 stuff blocks with 99 blocks. She also had 89 points during the regular season with 38 aces while earning second-team all-conference honors.
In her first full year of varsity, Fleck recorded a lofty 239 kills in 72 games, almost 3.32 kills per game. She also had 73 blocks and 42 stuffs at the net, and 132 points with 56 aces while serving during the regular season. Fleck was third in the conference in service receptions with 88 percent and 191 receptions and 209 digs. Wilson, who returned to the Lady Norse after lettering as a freshman and sitting out last season, was Northfield's most efficient attacker as a 5-foot-11 middle hitter with a .238 efficiency and 171 kills. She also recorded 172 blocks and 53 stuffs, along with 255 receptions and 207 digs. Named to the second team were Megan Goshert of Manchester, Kristen Van Buskirk, Monica Schenkel and Tricia Swan of Northfield, Jennifer Cochran, Brooke McKee and Amy Steele of Southwood and Crissy Stengel of Wabash. Cochran, Goshert, Schenkel and Swan are all seniors. The others are all juniors. Van Buskirk barely missed a spot on the first team after recording 117 kills for the Lady Norse during the regular season. She also had 128 points with 38 aces, 249 digs and 227 receptions. Swan and Cochran, a pair of back-row specialists, both earned second-team honors for the third year in a row. Swan had 238 receptions and 238 digs while serving up 166 points and 39 aces. Cochran had 167 points with 40 aces, and 171 receptions and 125 digs during the regular season. Adams and Stengel were both honorable mention selections a year ago, and this year Adams amassed 570 assists on 1,917 attempts. Stengel led the Lady Apaches with 162 kills in 63 games, more than 2.5 per game. Schenkel finished the regular season second to Proffitt in the conference in serving percentage at 97.5 percent on 177 points and 35 aces. She also had 131 digs and 181 receptions. Goshert led the Lady Squires with 198 receptions and 56 digs while adding 84 points and 16 aces. McKee, who contributed from all around the court, had 105 points, 63 kills, 42 assists, 56 blocks, 136 digs and 147 receptions for the VolleyKnights. Steele finished with 115 kills on 358 attempts. Earning honorable mention were Ann Harms and Carrie White of Manchester, Stephanie Martin of Southwood, Sarah Dyer and Jayme Denney of Wabash and Nora Gonzales of White's.
Links to other sites on the Web
© 1997 brhicks@ctlnet.com
Get your own Free Home Page