Prep notebook: Volleyball rules making switch to rally scoring

Like it or not, and some coaches in the state don't, rally scoring is coming to high-school volleyball in Washington, possibly as soon as next season.

The volleyball rules committee of the National Federation of State High Schools Association recently mandated the switch to rally scoring from the traditional sideout scoring method no later than 2004.

Cindy Adsit, assistant executive director of the Washington Interscholastic Activities Association, said the WIAA executive board will vote next month whether to make the change for next season, or the one after.

With rally scoring, points are awarded on each play, regardless of which team serves, and matches encompass five games. Games must be won by two points. The first four games are played to 25, with no cap, and the fifth game to 15. The system is already in place at the club, college and professional levels.

"In the minds of a lot of people, it's the natural progression of the sport," Adsit said.

While not all coaches favor the method, they agree it is popular with their peers.

"They like it because that's what they're doing in club," said Nancy Zehnder, longtime coach at Auburn and co-chairman of the Washington Volleyball Coaches' Association.

Zehnder said she doesn't like rally scoring because it cuts down on a team's ability to make a comeback from a large deficit.

Drew Terry, who guided Kentlake to the past three Class 4A state championships, agrees and added, "It makes matches seem closer than they really are."

He said he re-scored last November's championship match against Puyallup, which Kentlake won 15-10, 15-7. The rally scores would have been 39-37, 25-21.

"The team that plays better defense doesn't really get an advantage," he said.

Another rule change allows "let" serves, which hit the net but still go over.

Wright the right coach for Highline

Keith Wright, former boys basketball coach at Highline, has been named the school's football coach.

Wright, who teaches at Highline, previously was an assistant football coach at Federal Way, according to Mike Todd, Highline athletic director. He succeeds Jim Ward, who recently resigned after three seasons with a 9-18 record. Ward said he wants to take time to pursue his college degree and a teaching certificate.

Wright was Highline's head boys basketball coach for eight seasons before stepping down after the 1998-99 season.

Christensen out 2-3 weeks

Beth Christensen, senior point guard for the sixth-ranked Enumclaw girls basketball team, will be sidelined two to three weeks after injuring her left ankle in Saturday's 54-48 loss to No. 4 Kentlake, she said yesterday.

Christensen said she saw her doctor yesterday and was told all three ligaments are strained in the ankle, which is badly sprained.

Still, the news could have been worse.

"I went in for X-rays, and just knowing it might be broken was really scary," Christensen said.

Notes

• Elizabeth Harrison of Snohomish has signed a letter-of-intent to row for the Stanford women's crew. Harrison has less than two years of experience with the Everett Rowing Association, but has emerged as one of the fastest junior rowers in the country.

• Ryan Conwell and Drew Fowler, who helped Kentwood win back-to-back Class 4A state football championships, have orally committed to play football at Western Washington. Both were members of the Star Times team as seniors last fall, Conwell as a linebacker and Fowler as an offensive tackle. They will sign letters of intent tomorrow along with teammate Tahj Bomar, a linebacker who committed to Washington last summer.

• The Metro League postseason kicks off with girls swim meet preliminaries tomorrow at 4 p.m. at Seattle's Madison Pool. Boys meet prelims will be Thursday at 4 p.m. at the same site. Swimming finals for both girls and boys are Friday at 5 p.m. at Madison Pool. The district meet for Metro boys follows on Feb. 14-15 at UW Pool.