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Jensen sets bar higher
By GREG AUMAN
© St. Petersburg Times, BROOKSVILLE -- Jim Jensen isn't making any promises this year. It's not that Central's coach isn't confident in his team's prospects. If anything, that's exactly why he isn't making promises.
With the talent he has now, he figures the motivation should be more, well, natural. "I don't think we'll be making that deal this year," said Jensen, entering his fifth season. "We're going to have to win a whole lot more this year before they touch this scalp." Gone are three starters, including all-conference outside hitter Kristilee Jansen. But leading a group of 11 juniors are twins Tamara and Thalia Tatham, who both lined up as setters last season. Thalia, an inch taller and fourth on the team in kills last season, is moving to outside hitter, allowing Tamara to handle the setting. "She's the best setter we've ever had," Jensen said. "She's the better setter, and Thalia's a better hitter, so it was a logical choice to move her over." The twins combine with junior Sharesa Scott, a teammate in basketball, to give the Bears three players quick enough to track down nearly any ball. "I've got to keep those three on the court with that speed," Jensen said. "I think just our scrappiness and speed defensively should win us a few more matches." The Bears are thin at left hitter, where Jensen's first two options are no longer with the team. Junior Stacey Waters moved to Georgia and senior Shannon Maines opted not to play. Jensen has a first-year player in senior Jenny Bacon, who had been home-schooled but is now at Central and will share time with Tatham and junior varsity call-up Heather Edwards. "Heather has the potential to dominate at the net," Jensen said of the 5-foot-10 junior. "She has to play with confidence. She's good, but she hasn't realized that yet." The Bears' top returning hitter is senior Christine Morana, who finished second on the team with 101 kills and 43 blocks. "I think Christine, with her jumping ability, she could do well at the net," Jensen said. "Defensively she's great, and her blocking has been tremendous. We're going to try to showcase her athleticism." Jensen said he's been most aware of Central's depth when he's split his 14 players into two squads and scrimmaged against each other. "I watch them and think to myself that I could win with either team against most of the teams we play," said Jensen, whose team plays in a four-team district with Lecanto, Leesburg and Springstead. The smaller district will still send two teams to the playoffs, which makes the tournament at Lecanto either an easy trip to regionals ... or an easy early exit. "It's one (win) and you're in," Jensen said. "That's a good feeling. But it's also one and you're out."
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