Trying to bump back to the top

Centennial cautiously hopeful of recapturing former glory

By Mike Frainie | Special to The Baltimore Sun

September 3, 2008

After finishing 11-5 last season with a No. 10 ranking, seniors (left to right) Sammy Todorovich, Jackie Hawkins, Karen Hillsley, Ashley Fan, Kristen Ennis, Molly Speicher and Kristin Anderson have set their sights high. (Baltimore Sun photo by Doug Kapustin / August 28, 2008)

Centennial volleyball coach Larry Schofield sat at the end of his team's bench during a recent play day at River Hill and smiled. Judging by what he saw on the court, he had a lot to smile about.

Schofield's Eagles are loaded with talent and experience, and expectations are high for the team, which begins the season ranked No.1. It's the same spot Centennial occupied at the start of last season.

And that's why Schofield's optimism is tempered by caution.

"I do accept the level of talent we have on the team," said Schofield, in his second year as coach. "I just don't know if I'm comfortable with the way a lot of folks are building us up."

Last year, the Eagles were overtaken by county rival Reservoir, which beat Centennial twice en route to winning the Class3A state title. Centennial finished with an 11-5 record and No.10 ranking, which is a good season for most teams but something of a disappointment for a program that has won 13state titles since 1989.

"It was a different feeling for us," senior Jackie Hawkins said, "and I have to admit I was a little jealous. Don't get me wrong, [Reservoir] was so good and they deserved everything they got, but it makes us want to fight back even harder this year."

Fellow senior Sammy Todorovich echoed Hawkins: "We set the highest expectations for ourselves. We come from a great program with a great tradition, and what happened last year just makes us want it more."

On paper, the Eagles appear to have what it takes to return to their lofty status. The roster features seven seniors, almost all of whom play volleyball year-round at the club level.

Most of the seniors "were new to varsity last year, and I don't think we knew how good we could be," Todorovich said. "Now we have to set a good example for the juniors and sophomores like the 2006 team [which won the state championship, led by eight seniors] did for us."

One beneficiary of all of this year's seniors is sophomore Samantha Brostrom. The outside hitter, a key part of Centennial's offense, said their leadership makes things easier on her.

"They set a really good example for me, and they show me that I need to work hard if we are to achieve what we want," she said. "It's just the way that we do things at Centennial."

Hawkins said she senses a change in the team chemistry this year, which should aid the players in their quest for the Class3A state title.

"We've gotten used to each other a lot more this year," Hawkins said. "Most of us played club together at the Columbia Volleyball Club, and you can really see the difference. We've all gotten better."

Maintaining their No.1 ranking won't be easy, however. Howard County volleyball is regarded as the best in the metro area. Counting Centennial, seven county teams are either ranked in The Sun's Top15 or considered for the poll.

The seniors seem to welcome the challenge of high expectations.

"We have a lot of talent on this team," senior Ashley Fan said. "Some schools have trouble getting girls to try out, but we had to cut some talented players from our team, and that's really sad in a way. We push each other to work hard every day, and we look to what we can be instead of what we are."