Kenny Cress / Times Staff | Posted: Wednesday, March 24, 2004 12:00 am
Amanda Voss fulfilled one goal she had for months.
Now she will get to work on fulfilling her lifelong dream.
Arroyo Grande/s girls basketball team lost just three seniors to graduation last spring. So, "Our goal since summer was to win (the PAC-5) league," said Voss, a senior who was a 5-9 guard-forward for the Eagles last year.
The Eagles did win the PAC-5, and Voss was a big reason why. She averaged 17 points and six rebounds a game. For her accomplishments, Voss is the Santa Maria Times/ Girls All-Area Basketball Team Player of the Year.
"Our goal was to win league and go a long way in CIF," Voss said. "We went to the second round, so were very proud of ourselves." The Eagles bowed out in the second round of the CIF Division I-A playoffs this past winter.
As for next season, Voss said she will try to walk on at Cal Poly.
"At the beginning of the year, Westmont talked to me so I went on an official visit," Voss said. "It/s a beautiful campus, but it/s half the size of our high school. I wanted something big.
"UCR in Riverside wanted to offer me something but their coach was fired, and then their entire coaching staff was let go. So that didn/t work out.
"But it/s been my dream since I was a little girl to play at Cal Poly. I/m going to start working out with the Cal Poly girls now. They have open gym Mondays, Wednesdays and Sundays, so I/m going to work out with them. That way it won/t be so awkward at the start of the season."
Joining Voss on the All-Area Team are teammates Krista Simko and Haley Woeste; Lindsay Demery, Briana and Ariana Gnekow of Los Padres League champion Santa Ynez; Brittoni DeWitt of Santa Maria; Veronica Williams of Righetti; Jessica Perez and Lisa Wise of St. Joseph; Brittany Garcia of Lompoc; Hayley Hollenga of Cabrillo; and Cynthia Regalado of Valley Christian Academy.
For the second straight year, VCA/s girls basketball team made it to the CIF Division V-A semifinals. The Lions won the Coast Valley League.
For his team/s achievements, VCA coach Stan Bickley is the Times/ All-Area Girls Coach of the Year.
Bickley admitted that reaching the semifinals was cold comfort for him and his team. VCA took its second straight close basketball road loss in the semis. Last fall, the Lions lost at top-ranked Rio Hondo Prep in the volleyball semis.
Last year the Lions lost by four points to top-ranked Hesperia Christian in the girls basketball semis. This year second-ranked VCA lost 52-50 to unseeded Mesa Grande of Calimesa at Woodcrest Christian of Riverside in the semifinal round.
"They made a three-pointer with 29 seconds left to make it 51-50," Bickley said. "There was a jump ball with eight seconds left, but the darn possession arrow was pointing the other way.
"That was a heartbreaker. It took a long time to get over that.
"I suppose you could say reaching the semifinals again was a good accomplishment but, with the players we had coming back, we really hoped to make it all the way, maybe win the championship. We really thought North County Christian would be the team to beat."
North County Christian was knocked out in the quarterfinals. VCA beat Rio Hondo Prep at Whittier in the quarterfinals before losing to Mesa Grande.
The Lions and Crusaders split their games but, by league rule, VCA won the Coast Valley League by beating North County Christian in the last game between the two teams.
"We/ll lose senior starters Jessica Quandt and Regina Garza," Bickley said. "We/ll lose four other seniors."
Still, "I feel pretty good about what we/ll have coming back. We won/t have the depth, but maybe (freshman) Christine Regalado will step in to fill one spot. We hope little Whitney Mugg (a sophomore now) can fill another spot.
"We have high hopes of getting past the semis…the third time should work. Maybe."
Voss/s coach at Arroyo Grande, Ryan Glanville, thinks Voss/s prospects for making the Cal Poly team are good.
"I/ve spoken with Faith (Mimaugh, Cal Poly/s coach), and she/s excited to have Amanda as a walk on," Glanville said. "So it looks like it/s going to happen."
Righetti graduate Kristen Abel tried to walk on to the Cal Poly women/s team last season and was successful.
"I played club basketball with her," Voss said. She chuckled. "So at least I/ll know somebody."
"She was the shooting guard for us, so that should be a good position for her there," Glanville said. "She played most of the time on the perimeter, but whenever we had a matchup advantage with her posting up against a defender we went to her inside.
"She really worked hard over the summer to improve her defense 7 her offense had always been there," Glanville said. "She decided she would dedicate herself to improving her defense to become a more complete player. She played defense with a lot more confidence."
March 24, 2004