December 03, 2004

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Palo Alto Online

A final shot for Stanford

by Rick Eymer

Ogonna Nnamani may be known for the vicious way she strikes a volleyball after seemingly leaping higher than humanly possible, but her friends, who include her Stanford women's volleyball teammates, also know her as a gentle, upbeat, caring person who has a smile and a kind word for everyone.

Nnamani, with the help of her younger sister Njideka, a sophomore member of the volleyball team, also has a reputation for practical jokes.

Nnamani won't have much time for joking around the next two weeks as Stanford begins its quest for a sixth national title. The sixth-ranked Cardinal (24-6) are in Tallassee to open the NCAA tournament today at 2 p.m. (PST) against Jacksonville (15-12) on the campus of Florida A&M.

Nnamani and fellow seniors Jennifer Hucke and Leahi Hall would like nothing better than to finish their college careers the way they started it - with a national championship.

They were freshmen when Stanford won its last NCAA title in 2001 with a three-game sweep of Long Beach State.

"This is the first year we had to go away for the first and second rounds," Hucke said. "But we've been there before, and we know what to expect. There's no reason to be nervous. We've talked about this team and comparing it to the 2001 team all the time. Just like then, this team stayed around the middle of the rankings and at the end of the year hit our stride."

Stanford takes a nine-match winning streak into the tournament. The Cardinal haven't lost since Halloween, when California won in five games. Stanford went undefeated at home during conference play, which included one of the more historic victories over then top-ranked Washington.

"It's kind of different this year," Nnamani said. "It's a finite thing. I know I only have at the most six matches left. I want to make the most of every moment."

Nnamani, the youngest member of the 2004 United States Olympic team, has made the most of her career at Stanford. She'll be leaving as the Pac-10's career kills leader. She currently has 2,285. Stanford has a 114-20 record in Nnamani's four years.

Nnamani was also named the Pac-10 Player of the Year this week, and was joined on the first team by sophomore Kristin Richards. Hucke was an honorable mention choice while setter Bryn Kehoe and middle blocker Franci Girard were named to the all-freshmen team.

It's also likely Nnamani could be named national Player of the Year depending on how far Stanford gets into the tournament. She's a lock for her fourth consecutive All-American honor, joining Kristin Folkl, Kristin Klein, Bev Oden, Kim Oden, Wendy Rush, Logan Tom and Kerri Walsh as Stanford's four-time all-Americans.

Stanford has had an All-American volleyball player every year beginning in 1982.

"She continues to amaze me," Kehoe said of Nnamani. "She's so nice and so sincere, and when she's on the court she does things that make me want to step back and say 'Did that really happen?' She's a great role model because she always works so hard and has the desire to make others around her better."

Kehoe, the high school Player of the Year last season, and a member of the Junior National team, had some difficulty adjusting to Nnamani's game.

"Basically I have to set it as high as I can," Kehoe said. "It's different than any other set."

There's a simple explanation for that. Nnamani jumps higher than anyone else in Division I.

"She probably plays higher than anyone you can find," Stanford coach John Dunning said. "And she's learned how to hit the ball harder than anybody. When you set her right she's the hardest player in the country to block or dig. She can hit over people."

Hucke has seen Nnamani's progress first hand. The two met while playing with the U.S. Junior National Team seven years, when they were 14.

"I thought she was a little weird at first," Hucke said. "She was always flamboyant and cracking jokes. I didn't know what to think about her. But once I got to know her we've been inseparable. She's my best friend. Anything Ogonna does is funny. I like to laugh and she's the perfect person to be around. You always know she's there to help you with school or life."

It's Nnamani's off-court behavior which sets her apart. Kehoe, a junior in high school at the time, remembers their first meeting.

"I remember thinking she was one of the nicest people I ever met," she said. "It was amazing to me that someone that great could be so humble. It's great to be her teammate and her friend. I had a lot of respect for her before, but now I have even more."

No one seems to be immune from Nnamani's practical jokes. The Nnamani sisters carefully plot and carry out each joke as if they were planning strategies against an opposing team.

"I like telling people that someone is looking for them, to get them scared," Nnamani said. "I also like making prank calls to my teammates."

Nnamani wouldn't reveal her entire arsenal, though she suggested Njideka was the ringleader.

"She's the main engineer of all those things in terms of creativity," Nnamani said. "I'm just following along."

The jokes will be few and far between the next two weeks as the players prepare for final exams in addition to their opponents on the volleyball court.

"Every year we have to take finals on the road," Hucke said. "It's stressful but we all have to get through it. We're going to see the inside of out hotel rooms a lot. It's good that we can play volleyball and leave all that stress on the court. You can take your aggressions out on the court."

Nnamani is the latest in the lineage of great hitters for Stanford. Tom, her Olympic teammate, was Nnamani's role model. Tom learned from Walsh, who learned from Folkl, and, well, you get the picture.

"Logan was a great influence," Nnamani said. "She did so much for this sport and this country and I have only admiration for her. I learned so much from her. She was a key mentor in volleyball and life."

There's also another player on her way to Stanford, whom Nnamani has already influenced. Cynthia Barbosa is considered the best high school player this year, and was a late cut from the 2004 Olympic team.

"Cynthia is one of my best friends," Nnamani said. "I love talking to her. I'm excited about her coming to Stanford. I'm going to follow her through the years."

Nnamani still has reason to follow this year's team as well, for up to six matches.

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