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Soccer standouts are at Hurricanes' service

By KEITH NIEBUHR

© St. Petersburg Times, published August 10, 2001

INVERNESS -- Amber Presnick and Whitney Gelin -- two of the county's top female athletes -- haven't played organized volleyball since middle school, but a twist of fate landed them at the feet of Citrus coach Pam Woznicki earlier this week.

"I was pleasantly surprised (to see them when practice began)," Woznicki said.

Presnick, a two-time Times All-Citrus/Hernando Soccer Player of the Year, spent the previous two falls running cross country. She can't run this year because the state meet conflicts with a prestigious club soccer event in North Carolina in which she plans to compete. "I knew I couldn't run because it interferes with soccer, and I needed to do something," Presnick said.

Gelin, a Times All-Citrus/Hernando first-team pick in soccer and an honorable-mention selection for softball, expected to be a member of the Citrus band for a third consecutive year. But she missed too many band practices while playing club softball this summer and was unable to secure a spot.

"I've always told Coach Woznicki that I was going to play, but I'd usually just joke with her," Gelin said. "I'm having a lot of fun with it."

Both players have size (Presick is 5-foot-9, Gelin 5-7) and are athletic enough to play just about anywhere on the court. Because the Hurricanes have not completed the first week of practice, Woznicki said it's too early to speculate which position each will end up at and how much playing time they will get.

"We've basically just been working on offensive skills," Woznicki said. "Volleyball is one of the toughest sports to get the basics down. It's pretty much guesswork at this time. But certainly with the level of talent they have, we're counting on them to come in, have playing time and benefit the team.

"It's hard these days to find true athletes. When they do come along, it's a pleasure to have them. They have the work ethic I'm looking for, and they're very coachable. They're the packaged deal."