Rachel Wacholder

School: Laguna Beach High Sport: Volleyball Position: Outside hitter Class: Junior With sister Ashley at Duke burning up the Atlantic Coast Conference, Rachel Wacholder is making her mark on at least a little bit of the Pacific Coast. Wacholder, who at 5 feet 8 is short for an outside hitter, makes up for her height disadvantage by jumping very high, Coach Mike Soylular said.

Jen Kessy and April Ross advanced to the semifinals, but it was their opponents, Kerri Walsh and Rachel Wacholder, who put on the show. In their first tournament back on the Assn. of Volleyball Professionals tour, Walsh and Wacholder advanced to the quarterfinals before losing a close match to Kessy and Ross, 21-17, 17-21, 15-13, in the Hermosa Beach Open on Friday. Walsh and Wacholder both had babies earlier this year. They've been training but four matches in one day took their toll.

Jen Kessy and April Ross advanced to the semifinals, but it was their opponents, Kerri Walsh and Rachel Wacholder, who put on the show. In their first tournament back on the Assn. of Volleyball Professionals tour, Walsh and Wacholder advanced to the quarterfinals before losing a close match to Kessy and Ross, 21-17, 17-21, 15-13, in the Hermosa Beach Open on Friday. Walsh and Wacholder both had babies earlier this year. They've been training but four matches in one day took their toll.

Just as she predicted, beach volleyball star Kerri Walsh got the itch to play by December. Never mind she was four months pregnant. The sand beckoned. "I really thought I'd give it a full year off, but it's been such a long time off, and it's been good for my head and good for my soul, and I'm ready," she said, her son bouncing on her knee and husband Casey Jennings competing on a court nearby.

Rachel Wacholder, a senior from Laguna Beach, and Kim Coleman, a junior from Corona del Mar, have been named to the Mizuno All-American high school volleyball team. Capistrano Valley Christian senior Karen Benkovsky made the second team, and Newport Harbor sophomore Misty May made the third. Kristin Folkl, a junior middle blocker from St. Louis St. Joseph High, was named player of the year.

Rachel Wacholder, a volleyball player at Laguna Beach High School, suffered a sore neck in a car accident Friday but isn't expected to miss the Artists' final two Pacific Coast League matches this week. Wacholder, a 5-foot-8 junior outside hitter, was a passenger in a friend's car when they were hit by another car on the front of the passenger side. Wacholder and the driver, Amy Yuri, were taken to the hospital but later released. "We were pretty lucky," Wacholder said.

Coach: Michael Soylular (second year). 1991: 23-3, 10-0 in Pacific Coast League; Southern Section 5-A champion and reached State Division I regional semifinals. Key returners: Hilary Kyle, Jr., 5-6, outside hitter; Donna Simchowitz, Sr., 5-11, outside hitter; Anne Swayne, Sr., 6-1, middle blocker; Rachel Wacholder, Sr., 5-8, outside hitter. Key newcomers: Christy Collison, So., 5-9, setter; Rose Kuhn, So., 5-9, outside hitter; Lisa Ravensberg, So., 6-0, middle blocker; Cole Stevens, 5-10, Sr.

Most volleyball coaches figured the Laguna Beach High School girls' team would slip a notch after outside hitter Ashley Wacholder and setter Kealy Clarke graduated last spring. But the coaches made one major error. They overlooked the fact that Rachel Wacholder, Ashley's sister, was returning for her junior season. Overlooking Wacholder, after all, was easy to do. She stands only 5 feet 8. Her voice is soft and she appears to be about as ferocious as a puppy.

When Elaine Youngs and Rachel Wacholder abruptly ended their successful beach volleyball partnership a month ago, it came as a surprise to many who follow the AVP Pro Beach Volleyball tour. Wacholder and Youngs were a solid No. 2 team behind Misty May-Treanor and Kerri Walsh and the only team other than May-Treanor and Walsh to win an AVP tournament in 2005 or '06. But partner switches are common in beach volleyball. In fact, they happen every week.

Rachel Wacholder grew up with a beach volleyball court in the front yard of her family's home in Laguna Beach. She just never used it. That seems strange considering Wacholder would go on to win Orange County player of the year honors at Laguna Beach High and start for four years at Colorado. "My dad and mom would play," Wacholder said. "I just didn't have the time." Between her academic and indoor club volleyball commitments, Wacholder never hit the beach. Now she makes for it.

When Elaine Youngs and Rachel Wacholder abruptly ended their successful beach volleyball partnership a month ago, it came as a surprise to many who follow the AVP Pro Beach Volleyball tour. Wacholder and Youngs were a solid No. 2 team behind Misty May-Treanor and Kerri Walsh and the only team other than May-Treanor and Walsh to win an AVP tournament in 2005 or '06. But partner switches are common in beach volleyball. In fact, they happen every week.

Rachel Wacholder grew up with a beach volleyball court in the front yard of her family's home in Laguna Beach. She just never used it. That seems strange considering Wacholder would go on to win Orange County player of the year honors at Laguna Beach High and start for four years at Colorado. "My dad and mom would play," Wacholder said. "I just didn't have the time." Between her academic and indoor club volleyball commitments, Wacholder never hit the beach. Now she makes for it.

Rachel Wacholder, a senior from Laguna Beach, and Kim Coleman, a junior from Corona del Mar, have been named to the Mizuno All-American high school volleyball team. Capistrano Valley Christian senior Karen Benkovsky made the second team, and Newport Harbor sophomore Misty May made the third. Kristin Folkl, a junior middle blocker from St. Louis St. Joseph High, was named player of the year.

School: Laguna Beach High Sport: Volleyball Position: Outside hitter Class: Senior Wacholder, who helped Laguna Beach to the Southern Section Division 5-A title last season and was The Times Orange County player of the year, last week gave a couple more demonstrations of why she is one of the nation's top college recruits. She had 35 kills Tuesday in the Artists' five-game, come-from-behind victory over El Toro. Twenty-two of the kills came in the final two games of the victory.

Coach: Michael Soylular (second year). 1991: 23-3, 10-0 in Pacific Coast League; Southern Section 5-A champion and reached State Division I regional semifinals. Key returners: Hilary Kyle, Jr., 5-6, outside hitter; Donna Simchowitz, Sr., 5-11, outside hitter; Anne Swayne, Sr., 6-1, middle blocker; Rachel Wacholder, Sr., 5-8, outside hitter. Key newcomers: Christy Collison, So., 5-9, setter; Rose Kuhn, So., 5-9, outside hitter; Lisa Ravensberg, So., 6-0, middle blocker; Cole Stevens, 5-10, Sr.

Most volleyball coaches figured the Laguna Beach High School girls' team would slip a notch after outside hitter Ashley Wacholder and setter Kealy Clarke graduated last spring. But the coaches made one major error. They overlooked the fact that Rachel Wacholder, Ashley's sister, was returning for her junior season. Overlooking Wacholder, after all, was easy to do. She stands only 5 feet 8. Her voice is soft and she appears to be about as ferocious as a puppy.

Just as she predicted, beach volleyball star Kerri Walsh got the itch to play by December. Never mind she was four months pregnant. The sand beckoned. "I really thought I'd give it a full year off, but it's been such a long time off, and it's been good for my head and good for my soul, and I'm ready," she said, her son bouncing on her knee and husband Casey Jennings competing on a court nearby.

Rachel Wacholder, a volleyball player at Laguna Beach High School, suffered a sore neck in a car accident Friday but isn't expected to miss the Artists' final two Pacific Coast League matches this week. Wacholder, a 5-foot-8 junior outside hitter, was a passenger in a friend's car when they were hit by another car on the front of the passenger side. Wacholder and the driver, Amy Yuri, were taken to the hospital but later released. "We were pretty lucky," Wacholder said.