Title IX paved way to court

With the emergence of high school girls’ sports and Title IX, volleyball was a major front-runner on CIF Southern Section landscape.

Corona del Mar High and Newport Harbor had played in the 1977 final with CdM claiming its first championship after two appearances (1976 also). The 1978 season produced more success with the local teams.

Corona del Mar returned to final and played Laguna Beach which had beaten Newport in a thrilling semifinal match. Mike Cram had taken over for Kathy Bulmer as the CdM coach and, with the team’s experience and Cram’s volleyball knowledge, took the Sea Kings to an undefeated season. With Cheryl Johnson, Aileen Semonson, Susanne Askew and Monica Park, all seniors, the team executed with a precision at which spectators marveled.

Newport seniors Anne Yardley, Marilyn Horn and Liz Echternach had also made great impressions that season.

Corona del Mar and Newport played in the 1979 final that marked the senior season for the four-year starters for the Sailors and Sea Kings. With Kari Rush, the Pulaski twins (Kori and Kris), Louise Burbank and Julie Cochran leading Newport and Marcie Wurts, Sue Corea and Suzie Crone guiding CdM, the play was exciting. I was fortunate to coach the Newport team and Bill Ashen took over the CdM group.

The Newport team was interesting in that Rush, the setter, was the tallest player at 5-foot-8. The middle blockers, Cochran and Mary Allison, were both 5-7.

The Pulaskis at 5-8 were the outside hitters and Burbank was 5-4 and played in the opposite spot. Kathryn Asahino (big-time server), Bailey DeMond, and Krista “Burrito” Parker were the bench. The offense was made up of all very low and quick sets. The Japanese style of play relied on great ball control and sets that would beat the taller blockers. No teams today run an offense with the quickness and speed that the 1979 Newport team ran. Kori Pulaski was voted the CIF MVP.

The run by the three CdM girls, Wurts, Corea and Crone, was phenomenal when you consider that they appeared in the CIF championship match four years in a row with two CIF championships. It is difficult for a freshman to make the varsity today, much less play in the final. In the 1970s, there were only three divisions and all the best schools played in Division I. It’s different than the structure in CIF now.

Players in the area continued to join the club to develop their skills. Estancia’s Laurie Adams was a very talented player at Estancia (class of 1981) and enjoyed many successes with Orange County. At Costa Mesa, Valerie Grady (1981) and Carol Krikorian (1980) were also Orange County Volleyball Club members and leaders for the Mustangs in the 1970s. Cathy Mollica was a very talented volleyball player at Mesa who also excelled in gymnastics. They were each pioneers in girls’ high school team sports who benefited from Title IX.

Title IX also required equal opportunities for collegiate women players. This meant athletic scholarships at every major university.

The Southern California area and especially Newport Beach, mainly because of the national success of Dale Flickinger’s OCVC, attracted a number of colleges who wanted the best junior players as they worked to build the women’s collegiate game.

Some of the opportunities that were realized included Marie Lundie (USC and Cal Poly San Luis Obispo), Lynn Droke (San Diego State), Karen Olson (USC), Cheryl Johnston (Hawaii), Aileen Semonson and Monica Park (Cal Poly San Luis Obispo), Susanne Askew, Anne Yardley, and Liz Echternach (all at Texas A&M;), Sue Corea (Arizona State where Flickinger went to coach), Suzie Crone (UCLA), Kris and Kori Pulaski as well as Marcie Wurts (Hawaii), Mary Allison (UCSB), Julie Cochran (Princeton), and Kari Rush (Stanford).

Also, from the 1979 CdM team, Kristen Brown at Stanford and Cindy Kendall who was a three-time All-Ivy League performer at Princeton, benefited from the advancement of women’s sports.

The values attained by competing on a team are immense. From accountability to work ethic, life lessons cannot be developed as they can through competitive athletic experiences. Title IX allowed these lessons to be learned.