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2007-2008
Antelope Valley Girl's
By JASON GONZALEZ
Valley Press Assistant Sports Editor
The wall that was once made up of Khaliah Burnley, Chelsea Hamilton, Margaret Austin and Kara Sherrard, was bulldozed and pushed over by the hard-hitting and consistent passing of a 30-win Centurions squad hungry for a trip to Cypress College Saturday.
Long arms and a big frame were not even a factor for Cypress, as the Centurions managed to focus a lot on a complete balance of serving, passing, setting, and killing.
"We were just focused on playing our game…we have come across girls that are 6-foot-4, 6-5, and yet we always just work together," Cypress' Marissa Brand said.
"We always just try to not think about the big girl but rather the other stuff that is around us - not just that person - cause when you think just about that person you get distracted."
"That person," came in the likes of 6-3 senior Burnley, who had been a major factor in the Rebels' playoff run. Her intimidating frame often left Quartz Hill opponents defeated before they even began to play - a picture and result of the Rebels' victory over top seed Oaks Christian in the quarterfinals.
This advantage was something a well-rounded Rebels team had previously used to compliment their hard-hitting and consistent serving as a fill-in for their not so consistent passing.
Having never reached this far in Southern Section post-season competition, the Quartz Hill nerves were flying high and noticeably playing a factor in every facet of their game, especially the middle.
Burnley noted that all day prior to the match she had been very nervous and that during the game a bit of an anxious mentality factored into her performance, as well as the rest of the team's.
"Normally a better, hard-hitting team is easier for me to block cause they have more direction where they are going with the ball," Burnley said. "But today they successfully swung around me all night and I have to deal with it."
Swing around and kill was exactly what the Centurions did and each time Burnley or any other blocker made an attempt to stuff a hit. And even when the Rebels were lucky enough to get their hands on the ball, it was still hit hard enough for it to make its way over the net and out of bounds off of Quartz Hill hands.
The answer for the Rebels' offensive attack came strong, but a little late, in the performance of Kara Sherrard. Playing with a look of almost fear in Game 1, the junior bared down and led the Rebels to a Game 2 win with some hope of life early in the match.
She noted that nervousness wasn't only a factor for her before the game but throughout all four games. When asked about what she did to harbor her nerves and settle in, she said, "I did it for my team."
Burnley and Sherrard were major factors in the Rebels' success this season, and to Quartz Hill's advantage an experienced Sherrard will be back next year to help lead a group of solid juniors to another lengthy postseason run.
