Koelliker has GV in position to win volleyball crown

Spencer Patterson

Thursday, Nov. 11, 1999 | 11:22 a.m.

As a member of Green Valley's freshman volleyball squad four years ago, Malia Koelliker watched in awe as the Gators' varsity squad rolled to the second of back-to-back state championship.

"That team was unstoppable," Koelliker said. "When I was a freshman, I wanted to be on varsity and I wanted to go to state."

Most of all, Koelliker wanted to do what the school's 1993, '95 and '96 teams had done -- win the state title. But while her first two years on varsity have been highly successful, culminating in third and second-place finishes at state, the coveted championship has eluded her.

On Thursday, the 5-10 outside hitter will begin her final attempt to capture the trophy, as her club opens state tournament play against Reno at Chaparral High tonight at 5 p.m.

"I'm excited for state, especially being a senior and being on the team three years," Koelliker said. "I want it pretty bad."

At last week's Sunrise Region tournament, Koelliker showed exactly how badly she wanted this year's title, earning MVP honors after leading the Gators to three relatively easy three-game victories.

"She's a player that totally understands the meaning of teamwork, and she is going to do whatever it takes to get the team to play well," Green Valley coach Erin Hill said.

Hill is quick to stress that Koelliker's ability to impact a match is largely due to the senior's work ethic.

Though she hails from a sports-oriented family that also includes father Lee (a former collegiate athlete and Green Valley's current athletic administrator), older brother Lanny (a member of the Gators 1997 zone championship boys volleyball team) and sister Lacee (a freshman starter on Silverado's girls squad), Malia credits Hill for her development.

"Coach Hill has taught me a lot. She knows so much about the game," Koelliker said.

Hill's desire to prepare her team for this week's task was evident at Tuesday's practice. To simulate the powerful kills of the northern squad's heavy hitters, the Gators spent considerable time trying to defend against male assistant coach Kerry Sagers.

* PLAYER TO WATCH: Junior Jennifer Hucke, a middle blocker for north No. 1 seed Churchill County, brings some impressive credentials to the tournament. Hucke was one of 20 prep players invited to final tryouts for the USA Youth National Team in Colorado Springs, Colo., last summer.