Sports
Unwelcome
Emma Mefford wasn't welcomed by CIF, who ruled her out of a month of games due to her transfer. She still showed up and made a difference.
By Michael Ashcraft --
She lost her home, her school, her friends. She came to Santa Monica to start a new life -- and CIF did NOT welcome her.
Emma Mefford had to sit out from volleyball until Tuesday because her parents didn't have the right kind of lease.
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That's what she said. Somehow, the lease figures into CIF rules as to who can play and when they can play. She missed three league games and two tournaments with her new friends.
On Tuesday, Emma made her presence known. A towering 5'9" among the Lighthouse Christian Academy girls, she got some blocks and some hits, a modest start.
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"It was a bit confusing because the rotations were new for me," Emma confided. "It's a different team chemistry and stuff."
Glendale Adventist Academy returned home after losing three straight sets. LCA prevailed 25-9, 25-22, 25-20. The Cougars are among the Omega League's fiercest. What they lack in height, they make up with effort, teamwork and planning.
Their preparations were not enough to beat the Saints, who have dominated the league for three years now. No reprieve is in sight. New dominant players come up the ranks of Lighthouse Church School.
Kallie McKinney is the perfect example. The 5'8" freshman slapped down hits, aced serves, blocked and even delivered assists.
Kallie did the limbo on a low pass, delivering a low set that Senior Shayla Papik expertly killed. The rapid fire series caught the Cougars off guard and appeared to be a strategy when in reality the girls were scrambling.
Junior Jillian Jenkins brought the Arctic avalanche. She iced the Cougars with 15 kills and 6 aces.
Shayla nabbed 7 kills, Kallie 5, Lucy Young 2.
Riley Gonzalez, who says she can't speak a lick of Spanish until she starts insulting her classmates in perfect Spanish, licked up 17 balls with digs that denied the Cougars points.
Kallie served 4 aces.
After leaving her team and school at Pismo Beach, Emma bears no bad feelings about being ruled out of the first few games. She wrote a nice note to coach apologizing and promising to show up to every game and every practice while she passes through purgatory.
An awesome girl.
About this writer: Michael Ashcraft teaches writing and journalism at the Lighthouse Christian Academy. Mr. Ashcraft is also Riley's Spanish teacher. His forthcoming book is called Retire First.
