She's paid her dues, now McNamee is reaping rewards in volleyball

by Rick Eymer

Paula McNamee knew she would be attending Stanford University, somehow, some way. She just wasn't sure whether she'd play volleyball or basketball. After all, coming out of Sidwell Friends School in Washington, D.C., she was Player of the Year in both sports, and was named a high school All-American in basketball. Last year, after helping the Cardinal win a national volleyball title, McNamee joined the basketball team, which reached the Final Four.

"I didn't make my decision until I came here," said McNamee. "Stanford was my ultimate goal. Volleyball was more of a challenge."

Like two-sport teammate Kristin Folkl, McNamee chose volleyball as her No. 1 sport, and now the fifth-year senior is giving Stanford an extra weapon in the front row as the Cardinal heads to Pullman for a showdown with Washington State on Friday. The Cougars are in second place in the Pac-10, behind Stanford, which is 7-0 in conference play (16-2 overall) after beating No. 15 Arizona on Friday, 15-11, 15-12, 11-15, 15-8, and Arizona State on Saturday, 15-11, 15-12, 15-10 in Maples Pavilion.

The weekend sweep improved Stanford's conference home winning streak to 31 straight, with the senior class improving to 55-1 at home. The Cardinal has won 11 consecutive matches since losing to No. 1 ranked Penn State on Sept. 6.

Stanford, ranked No. 4 in the nation, still isn't at full strength as nagging injuries to setter Lisa Sharpley (knee) and outside hitter Kerri Walsh (ankle) continue to plague the Cardinal.

But that's where a player like McNamee is so valuable to Stanford. She gives the Cardinal much needed depth in the front line.

"She's playing the game with much more confidence right now," said Stanford volleyball coach Don Shaw. "She's paid her dues for four years and is now coming into her own."

When McNamee arrived at Stanford in 1993, admittedly a raw talent, she sat and watched players like Anne Wicks, now an assistant coach at Stanford. Last year, she played behind Eileen Murfee.

"I knew what I was getting into when I first came here, especially with the redshirt year," said McNamee. "I had less experience with the sport, so I knew I'd have to watch from the bench. I learned a lot, and now it's my turn."

McNamee picked up volleyball in the ninth grade, relatively late in volleyball life, in San Diego. Her family moved to the Washington D.C. area the following year.

"I had a great foundation, and I tried to keep it with me, but there's not as many opportunities on the East Coast," said McNamee. "I tried to get as much exposure."

McNamee did attend as many summer camps as possible, and worked hard during each offseason to improve her game.

Still, when Shaw received her recruiting tapes, it was almost impossible to believe.

"It was pretty scary," said Shaw. "But she had tremendous raw talent, and you can see the quickness she has. The ability was there. She has come a long way."

In her first three seasons, McNamee accumulated 110 career kills, and had match highs of seven blocks and nine kills.

McNamee entered the Arizona match with 118 kills this year alone, and has now recorded eight blocks in a match twice this year. She's also had 12 kills in a match.

"I was probably kidding myself after my redshirt year, but by my third year, I thought 'I can do this,'" said McNamee. "Whoever was in there better know I'm competing with them. We have a deep bench, and if someone is having an off-night, we generally have someone who can come in. You can't be selfish. This is a team effort and we recognize that."

That was true on Friday night against Arizona as 6-foot-3 freshman Jennifer Detmer was subbed into the front row and recorded three block assists and two kills in a short time. It was just her second appearance of the Pac-10 season.

"Paula is one of the hardest workers in the program, especially in the off-season and that's real leadership," said Shaw. "She's having her good nights, and getting her share of blocks."

As for Sharpley and Walsh, Shaw is keeping a close eye on them as they try to play, and recover from injuries at the same time.

"It's been OK, but they've had a chance to rest," said Shaw. "If they're healthy, fine. Now is the time we find out about our depth. I have no idea how they're going to be from day to day. We're just going to try and make it through the year."

Stanford is going to Pullman, maybe the best homecourt advantage in the Pac-10, during Washington State's homecoming week, which will just magnify things that much more.

"Pullman is the toughest place to play these days," said Shaw. "They play in a small gym that they say has a capacity of 3,000, but had almost 4,000 the last time we played there. They'll be all over us."

Against Arizona, Folkl had 23 kills, Walsh 22 and Barbara Ifejika added 14. Sharpley had 62 assists. Stanford hit at a .346 pace for the evening, holding Arizona to a .207 hitting percentage.

Folkl produced 17 kills to lead the victory over Arizona State.

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