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47 °F Forecast | Road Cams Wednesday, March 23, 2005 Today's News | Classifieds | Autos | Homes | Jobs | Tempo | Health | Community | Home Delivery SECTIONS Home Page Local News Sports Business Obituaries Life Opinion Tempo AP News Weather Classified Archives Site Map SPECIAL SECTIONS Since We Asked Outdoor Journal Menu Guide How To Guide Health Readers' Choice Real Estate Showcase Real Estate Guide Joy Magazine Homelife Magazine Wedding Guide Passport to the Rogue Valley SHOP OUR VALLEY AutoFinder HomeFinder JobFinder Classified Place an ad TOP JOBS EXTRA Ashland News NIE Personals Movie Times TV Times E The People Volunteer Moving here? eSouthernOregon CUSTOMER SERVICE FAQ's Advertise with us Home Delivery Employment Contact Us Media Kit Oregon Road Conditions & Cams Email Story to a Friend March 22, 2005 Volleyball standout Munson to head south Prep Notebook By DON HUNT Mail Tribune North Medford’s Allanah Munson had resigned herself to play volleyball at a small college in Oregon next fall when her father got a call from Fresno Pacific University coach Dennis Janzen last month. One of Janzen’s assistant coaches had watched Munson play in a club tournament in San Jose, Calif., and was immediately enthralled by the way the setter performed and conducted herself on the court. Now, Munson has a scholarship. She’ll receive more than $20,000 annually — out of a total annual cost of about $26,000 — to attend the private Christian college, which is among the premier NAIA volleyball schools in the country. "It’s kind of crazy the way this happened," Munson says. "The guy (Fresno’s assistant coach) was reffing one of our matches. I had no idea he was even watching me. "I’m very excited about this opportunity. I’ve always wanted to go to college in California and now I’m getting my wish." Advertisement Munson comes from a volleyball family. Her father, Malcolm, is an assistant coach at North Medford and was previously the head coach at Klamath Union. Her sister, Kaylene, plays at Portland State. "I’ve been playing almost from the time I took my first steps," Allanah Munson says. "I didn’t start playing tournaments until I was in the sixth grade, but I’ve been in the gym forever." The 5-foot-8 Munson set a school record in conference play last season with 411 assists and achieved a North Medford season record for setters with 70 kills. She helped the Black Tornado to a 22-11 record and a berth in the Class 4A state tournament. North Medford coach Ron Beick says Munson is only the third setter he’s coached in 27 years that has been in his starting lineup for three straight seasons. "She does some things as a setter that you don’t normally see," Beick says. "She has some quick, athletic moves around the net and she can attack with her left hand. "But her greatest asset might be her leadership on the court. She always brings a real positive attitude and that rubs off on the other kids." Munson carries a 3.84 grade-point average and plans to major in business, nursing or pediatric physical therapy. Fresno Pacific posted a 36-3 record last season, won the Golden State Athletic Conference with a 19-1 mark and finished fifth at the NAIA national tournament. Janzen, the Sunbirds’ head coach, has a 618-160 record in 20 seasons at the school. KYLE SINGLER WILL trim his basketball tournament schedule just a tad this spring and summer in order to focus more on football, where he’s expected to be South Medford’s starting quarterback next fall. The 6-foot-8, 200-pound sophomore played in 12 offseason hoop tournaments last year. "You’ve got to pick what you’re going to do and sort of split it half and half," Singler says. "I’m trying to balance things out." Singler will participate in an invitation-only skills camp put on by NBA coaches and players next month in Portland. "There’s going to be (high school) kids there from all over the country," he says. "I’m excited about that one." Singler is also excited about a Nike all-star team that he’ll join for a trip to France the first week of June. The squad will feature mostly high school seniors and college freshmen. Singler and Lake Oswego High standout Kevin Love are two of only three high school underclassmen invited to play on the team. As for football, Singler is eager to line up at quarterback, a position he played at Hedrick Middle School and sparingly as a freshman at South Medford. He was a first-team, all-conference tight end for the Panthers last season. "Quarterback is definitely my favorite position," he says. "I love getting the ball on every play and having the opportunity to make plays." Reach reporter Don Hunt at 776-4469, or e-mail [email protected] Mail Tribune Home | Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life | Opinion AP News | Archives | Site Map | Community | Classified Copyright © 1997-2005 Mail Tribune, Inc. All rights reserved. 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