Tara Kroesch

Four years ago, Marv Marinovich was working at his Anaheim athletic training facility when a gangly 12-year-old girl wandered through the door with her father. "She was kind of awkward and untrained, more so than the boys," Marinovich remembered. "I don't like to run down athletes, but she had a bad knee and a sore ankle. Her back was sore, too. Her workload was too much for her." Tara Kroesch's knee and ankle had taken a beating after only two seasons in youth volleyball.

Four years ago, Marv Marinovich was working at his Anaheim athletic training facility when a gangly 12-year-old girl wandered through the door with her father. "She was kind of awkward and untrained, more so than the boys," Marinovich remembered. "I don't like to run down athletes, but she had a bad knee and a sore ankle. Her back was sore, too. Her workload was too much for her." Tara Kroesch's knee and ankle had taken a beating after only two seasons in youth volleyball.

Craig Tefertiller, girls' volleyball coach at El Modena High, used his powers of persuasion when Marni Hichborn and Melizza Benitez tried out for his team three years ago. He convinced Hichborn and her parents that she should continue to play despite struggling with grades during her eighth-grade year. She improved her grades, and started as a freshman on the varsity. And he persuaded his assistant coaches not to cut Benitez, a newcomer to the sport, from the freshman-sophomore team.

Newport Harbor volleyball player Tara Kroesch said Tuesday she has orally committed to play at Pepperdine next season. Kroesch, a 5-11 outside hitter and three-year starter for the Sailors, chose Pepperdine over Loyola Marymount.

Loyola Marymount's Amy Moeller, a graduate of Mater Dei High School, has been named West Coast Conference freshman volleyball player of the year. Also named to the all-freshman team was Pepperdine's Tara Kroesch (Newport Harbor) and Loyola Marymount's Julie Greer (Esperanza). Moeller and Kroesch were also all-conference honorable mention selections. Moeller led Loyola Marymount to a 19-12 record and a second-place conference finish at 10-4.

The Pepperdine women's volleyball team earned a measure of revenge with a 15-12, 15-11, 15-11 victory Saturday night over Loyola Marymount in a West Coast Conference match at Malibu. It was Loyola's first loss in seven conference matches. The Lions are 15-8 overall. Loyola was able to take a lead in each of the games, but could not hold off the Waves (8-13, 4-3). The victory enabled Pepperdine to extend its conference home winning streak to 39 games.

La Habra's Zrinka Kristich and Newport Harbor's Russ Gan will be among the players competing in the Orange County boys' and girls' volleyball all-star matches tonight at Golden West College. Kristich, who led La Habra to the State Division II title last fall, will lead the North team against the South, which features Newport Harbor's Maureen McLaren and Tara Kroesch.

Coach: Dan Glenn (seventh year). 1991: 16-4, 8-2 in league; second in Sea View League. Southern Section 5-A second round. Key returners: Amy Evans, Sr., 5-6, outside hitter; Dani Foley, Sr., 5-8, outside hitter; Misty May, So., 5-10, outside hitter; Melissa Schutz, So., 5-11, middle blocker; Sara Warmington, Jr., 5-5, back row. Key newcomers: Jenny Hecker, Fr., 5-6, setter; Sara Fairborn, So., 5-8, outside hitter.

Newport Harbor advances to semifinals--Maureen McLaren had 12 kills and Tara Kroesch had eight for Newport Harbor, which upset Mira Costa, the top-ranked team in the Southern Section 5-A Division, 15-8, 15-13, to advance to the championship bracket. The Sailors face St. Joseph at 11 a.m. today in one semifinal at Redondo Union High School. Torrey Pines, the top-ranked 5-A team in the state poll, is in the semifinal of the upper bracket. The championship game is at 5 p.m.

Newport Harbor outside hitter Maureen McLaren wasn't perfect Thursday night. But almost perfect was good enough for the Newport Harbor girls' volleyball team, which upset Laguna Beach, the No. 1 ranked team in Orange County. McLaren had 25 kills and only one hitting error to lead the Sailors to an 11-15, 15-10, 15-10, 15-6, victory at Newport Harbor High School. Laguna Beach won the first game behind Rachel Wacholder, who had seven kills in the game but finished with only 14 for the match.