San Diego U-T Preps

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If you watched Brittany Abercrombie play volleyball, you’d never discover out how well she’s playing or whether her La Costa Canyon High team was winning or losing.

Her demeanor on the court is always the same, win or lose.

“I guess I have a great poker face,” said Abercrombie. “I’ve always had that calm look. It’s just the way I deal with a game.

“Some players scream and jump around. I can’t play that way. Excited doesn’t work for me.”

The 6-foot-3 opposite has not only played well enough this season to earn a verbal commitment to USC, but Abercrombie has managed to avoid being one of the Mavericks’ countless walking wounded as they won the San Diego Section Division II title, their ninth consecutive crown.

She led the Mavericks this season so well that she was chosen as the Player of the Year on the 2012 All-North County girls volleyball team, which was selected by the U-T San Diego prep sports staff.

“If Brittany had been one of our injured players, we would have been in trouble,” LCC coach Pat McDougall said. “She’s carried this team. She’s been the one constant for us through all the lineup changes we were forced to make.

“You have to marvel how level she is on the court. Nothing excites her. Nothing scares her. Nothing shakes her. She just keeps playing.”

The left-handed hitting Abercrombie isn’t about to question her good health.

“I’m not sure why I lucked out this year when it comes to injuries,” Abercrombie said. “I’ve had shoulder problems in the past, but I’ve been lifting and trying to strengthen the shoulder. Maybe it’s paid off doing that.

“I’m so proud of my body for holding up this year and not breaking down.

“This year showed what a team is all about. You have to be a good player on this team because this year they were called on. Everybody did their bit.”

All-North County girls volleyball team

FIRST TEAM

Name / School / Yr.

Reily Buechler / Torrey Pines / Jr.

Jennie Frager / Torrey Pines / Sr.

Kendra Dahlke / Fallbrook / So.

Blair Ehrlich / Poway / Sr.

Katelyn Cuff / Torrey Pines / Sr.

Madison Dutra / Torrey Pines / Sr.

Brittany Abercrombie / La Costa Canyon / Jr.

Delaney Sullivan / Canyon Crest / Sr.

Tatiana Durr / Cathedral Catholic / Sr.

Lauren Miller / Cathedral Catholic / Sr.

SECOND TEAM

Name / School / Yr.

Cosy Burnett / La Costa Canyon / Sr.

Maddie Kerr / Torrey Pines / Sr.

Ryann Chandler / Torrey Pines / Sr.

Marley Boase / Rancho Buena Vista / Sr.

Caihla Petiprin / Carlsbad / Jr.

Kolby Bird / Westview / So.

McKenna Hollingsworth / Tri-City Christian / Jr.

Kelsey Horvath / Poway / Jr.

Amanda Colla / San Dieguito / Jr.

Caterina Rosander / Canyon Crest / Sr.

Player of the Year: Brittany Abercrombie, La Costa Canyon

COACH OF THE YEAR

Pat McDougall, La Costa Canyon

McDougall has coached at La Costa Canyon High for six seasons and won six consecutive San Diego Section championships since replacing Ed Machado for the 2007 season.

Four of those were in Division I and the last two in Division II.

Along the way, he guided the Mavericks to the state championship in 2008 and to a berth in last year’s Division II state finals before losing to San Jose Presentation.

But the 2012 season may have been McDougall’s best coaching effort despite compiling a 28-10 record. Through an outbreak of injuries that struck for most of the season, La Costa Canyon never faltered. McDougall, who was a senior on the men’s volleyball team at San Diego State that lost to UCLA in the 1972 NCAA Finals, used his bench and kept on winning.

That’s why McDougall is Coach of the Year on the All-North County Team.

“All the girls on the team played significant roles during the season because of all the injuries,” McDougall said. “I thanked them all for their play and it has to be tough for them to go back to the bench now that the starters are all back and playing. But they did it.”

McDougall’s record with the Mavericks is an impressive 186-37.

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