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ATHLETE OF THE WEEK: Read a Q&A with Booker High junior running back Marlon Mack. PAGE 18A
YourObserver.com
VOLLEYBALL
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 11, 2012
SPORTS SCHEDULES
by Jen Blanco | Associate Editor
*Denotes district game
CROSS-COUNTRY Oct. 13 • Booker, ODA, Riverview, Sarasota and Sarasota Christian at Manasota Track Club Invitational at McIntosh Middle School (8 a.m.)
FOOTBALL Oct. 12 • Booker vs. LaBelle (7:30 p.m.)* • Cardinal Mooney vs. St. Petersburg Catholic (7 p.m.) • ODA vs. Imagine School of Naples (7 p.m.) • Riverview at Southeast (7:30 p.m.) • Sarasota at East Lake (7:30 p.m.)
GOLF (BOYS) Oct. 11 • ODA at Cardinal Mooney (3:30 p.m.) Oct. 15 • Sarasota Christian in Class 1A-District 16 Tournament at Bradenton Country Club (9 a.m.) • Sarasota in Class 2A-District 13 Tournament at The Founders Club (8 a.m.) Jen Blanco
Senior Haley Preininger has been an integral part of ODA volleyball team’s success this season. Now she hopes to lead the Lady Thunder to their first district title since 2007.
The Out-of-Door Academy team-and-floor captain Haley Preininger has learned individual accolades only carry you so far. The senior setter hopes the Lady Thunder’s newfound toughness will carry them to a district championship. LAKEWOOD RANCH — Out-of-Door Academy senior Haley Preininger craved the glory that came with being a hitter. She felt a sense of accomplishment watching her stats and accolades pile up, knowing she was an integral part of the Lady Thunder’s offensive production. It wasn’t until one of her former JV coaches moved her from a hitter to a setter in middle school that Preininger learned that contribution is more than just the number of tallies next to your name on the stat sheet. The adjustment was difficult for Preininger at first, but over the last four years she’s learned to value the position. “When I was younger, I kind of wanted the gratification,” Preininger says. “Now my team knows I’m contrib-
uting and I know I’m contributing. That’s all that really matters. You can’t play as an individual. The position teaches you how to play (as a team). I can’t do that much as an individual.” Preininger began playing volleyball in sixth grade. She played intramural volleyball before deciding to join the Suncoast Volleyball Club. Preininger played for Suncoast until her freshman year but she decided to take a break from club volleyball her freshman and sophomore years. She continued to play for ODA, during that time and returned to Suncoast Volleyball Club last season. Preininger joined ODA’s volleyball team in seventh grade. She played JV for three years before moving up to varsity her sophomore
year. This season, Preininger is both a team and floor captain for the Lady Thunder and has helped ODA maintain a competitive spirit every time the team steps out onto the court. “Haley has not only adopted the competitive attitude that I have been stressing since day one, but she has also been instrumental in encouraging her teammates to do the same. … We appreciate all that Haley brings to the team that can’t be tallied on the stat sheet,” coach Craig Wolfe says. During her first season at ODA, Preininger watched the Lady Thunder capture their second district title. Now five years later, Preininger and the rest of the senior class want to add another district title to the championship banner that
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Oct. 15 • Sarasota in Class 2A-District 13 Tournament at Bradenton Country Club (11:30 a.m.)
SWIMMING
Oct. 13 • ODA, Sarasota and Sarasota Christian at Tri-County • Championships at Selby Aquatic Center (9 a.m.) Oct. 17 • ODA, Sarasota and Sarasota Christian at Sarasota County Championships at Selby Aquatic Center (5 p.m.)
VOLLEYBALL Oct. 11 • Sarasota Christian at Sarasota (6 p.m. JV; 7 p.m. V — senior night) • Booker at Lemon Bay (7 p.m.) • Riverview at Palm Harbor University (6 p.m.) • Cardinal Mooney at Lakewood Ranch (7 p.m.) Oct. 12 • ODA at Mustang Invitational at Northside Christian (9 a.m.) Oct. 15 • ODA at Shorecrest Prep (7 p.m.) • Sarasota at Cardinal Mooney (5 p.m. F; 6 p.m. JV; 7 p.m. V) Oct. 16 • ODA at Sarasota Christian (7 p.m.) • Booker at Riverview (6 p.m.) • Sarasota at Lakewood Ranch (5 p.m. F; 6 p.m. JV; 7 p.m. V) Oct. 17 • Riverview at Sarasota (5 p.m. F; 6 p.m. JV; 7 p.m. V — pink game)
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Oct. 11 • Sarasota at Riverview and Lakewood Ranch at Heritage Oaks (3:30 p.m.) • Cardinal Mooney vs. Lemon Bay
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hangs in the Petrik Thunderdome. “Our whole high school career, this is really what we’ve been working toward. We’ve talked about it before, but it hasn’t really ever been in reach. This year we have confidence and it feels (good) knowing we’ve come that far and all of our hard work is (paying off).” Preininger and the Lady Thunder moved one step closer to their goal of capturing their first district title since 2007 by beating Cardinal Mooney Oct. 4 for the first time in Preininger’s career at ODA. Preininger, who finished with 26 assists, 22 digs and five blocks, remembers blocking the last point and rushing back to meet her teammates in celebration. “It was such an emotional win. It’s never really been close. The first time we played them we won one game, but lost the match. This was just an amazing win,” Preininger says. “We’ve learned how to be mentally tough and how to play with intensity. You can have the best technique; but if you don’t have mental toughness, you can only go so far.”
GOLF (GIRLS)