Knight's Tale

Three vets ready to lead Hawks

By PATRICK BURNS
Valley Press Staff Writer

Playing from the outside hitter position, Davis was all over the court earning points for her team by slamming the ball on opposing defenses.

Although Davis graduated, along with another standout Nicole Madero, the Hawks expect to earn a playoff spot with the help of three veteran leaders.

Seniors Tina Inglima and Madison Oddo, along with junior Tanika Hubbard, all returning varsity players, have emerged as the leaders of the slightly inexperienced, but talented Knight team.

"We are very young and a little inexperienced in a sense," Hawks coach Danny Henderson. "A lot of our kids can play at the varsity level though."

With Thomas and Madero gone, Hubbard and Oddo are the Hawks outside hitters and Inglima is the starting setter. All three of the girls played the past two years for the Oasis Volleyball Club and are good friends on and off the court.

"Playing club gave us that bond," Inglima said. "There's already chemistry."

With already knowing each other's strengths, the three are also gaining familiarity with the rest of the team and some of the younger players. The Hawks have already played two scrimmages against Lancaster.

"We were able to get used to each other and have fun," Inglima said.

Each player has individual strengths that come out on the court.

The 5-foot-9 Inglima can chase down practically every ball and is most valuable to the team with her passing skills.

"Our passing as a team isn't that great but Tina makes it look great," Hubbard said. "She's holding our team together right now."

Inglima is also acts as the emotional leader who refuses to get down on her teammates when they make mistakes, but encourage them to do better on the next play.

"She's very supportive and a team-oriented player," Oddo said.

Hubbard and Oddo both slam the ball with different styles. Oddo, at 5-foot-8, hits with the most speed at the top, whereas Hubbard, at 5-foot-9, puts spin on the ball and is able to locate it in vacant spots in the opposing defense.

"It's good to be surrounded by the best hitters," Inglima said.

Hubbard had the second-most kills for the Hawks last season (115), trailing only to Thomas, out of the middle blocker position.

Oddo also has the best serve on the team - last season she had the highest aces per game (1.6).

"She has by far the hardest serve," Hubbard said. "She can ace anybody."

The Hawks came in fifth and couldn't secure a playoff birth in the Golden League last year. With the addition of Eastside, four teams make playoffs and the Hawks should be in the hunt again for the final spot.

"Our goal is to get into the playoffs and make it for the first time," Henderson said.

In the past few years, the battle for the playoff spots were between Lancaster, Quartz Hill, Highland and Littlerock with the Rebels winning the league title most frequently.

Henderon is entering his second year as head coach. As one of the better coaches in the area, it should be easier for the players and the coach to adjust in his second year.

"It's always hard with a new coach, because they don't know what to expect," Henderson said.

Even if they don't have success on the court, the Hawks players continue to excel in the classroom. Four of the twelve players have grade-point averages above 4.0, and the team has an average GPA of 3.42.

"We might not have the greatest volleyball team, but they are great kids and do well in class" Henderson said.

Inglima, Oddo and Hubbard exemplify the academic excellence of the team. Each of the three leaders has a GPA over 4.2 and is hoping to attend strong academic colleges like UC Berkeley, UCLA and UC Irvine.

"It's definitely something we are proud of," Oddo said.

"It's really neat that we are able to keep up with our studies and have fun during the season."