Lee’s Summit North’s Beal wins Evelyn Gates Award

Source: The Star

FRED BLOCHER | the kansas city Star

LS North’s Marianne Beal admired the Evelyn Gates Award while her coach, Rhea Moses (right), led the applause.

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Unlike many of her volleyball peers who have become elite players after starting in the sport at a young age, Lee’s Summit North High School senior Marianne Beal has a different story.

It was the first day of school her eighth-grade year when several friends convinced Beal how fun it would be to try out for the team. Beal was simply following along that day, and now it is Beal who is being honored as recipient of the Evelyn Gates Award. The award, given to Beal on Thursday at her school, honors the top volleyball player in the Kansas City area, as selected by coaches.

Beal accepted the award in front of a celebratory crowd inside the Broncos’ gymnasium — an appropriate setting since it was the site where Beal crafted her standout career as a middle hitter.

“I would have never thought this would’ve happened from that eighth-grade day,” Beal said. “But I’ve worked hard at it and (so have) all my teammates.”

Beal jumped into the starting lineup as a freshman and remained there until she slammed the last of her 1,338 career kills. Besides setting the program record in kills, Beal led the Broncos to a 31-6-1 record this season. Also, Beal finished her senior year by leading the team in kills (410) and blocks (80).

“She has provided not only the numbers, but the spirit of the game and a positive attitude,” LS North volleyball coach Rhea Moses said. “If we were down, I could always count on Marianne to bring them back up.”

Beal admitted to being timid as a freshman starter around her 18-year-old teammates, partly because “the game was a lot faster than in middle school.” However, as Beal grew into her own she discovered that her personality blended well with the fundamentals of the game.

“I love it because it’s more of a mental sport and depends on the attitude of everyone around you,” Beal said. “I love it because it’s totally a team aspect.”

This week, Beal also signed a scholarship to attend Kansas. The other Evelyn Gates Award senior nominees — Blue Springs’ Lisa Henning, Blue Valley North’s Chelsea Cook and Kareen Schwartze of Shawnee Mission East — also have signed letters of intent to continue their volleyball careers. Henning will attend Missouri, Cook is heading to Duke, and Schwartze plans to play at Rockhurst University.

submitted by CANDACE BUCKNER - 2009-11-12 23:03:01