Numbers don’t mean much to Lauren Kellerman.
So when the former Escondido High volleyball star recorded her1,000th career kill last season at UC Irvine, there was littlefanfare. And she doesn’t want anyone to get too excited as shecontinues to climb the career charts for Anteaters women’svolleyball.
“Honest. I’m not caught up in stats or the record book,” saidKellerman, a senior. “I just play. I don’t get too wrapped up innumbers. I don’t focus on numbers.”
Others do, however. With 12 matches to play this season,Kellerman has 1,418 kills — third all-time at the school.
She has no chance of catching Kelly Wing, who stands at 2,267kills. But second place — 1,590 by Popi Edwards — is apossibility.
Additionally, Kellerman has 108 career service aces, tied forsixth all-time at UCI. Third place (125) is within sight.
While records aren’t something Kellerman thinks of, the futurehas certainly crossed her mind. She’s on track to graduate with adegree in sociology and a minor in management.
“I don’t want to get too far ahead of myself because I reallywant to finish this season strong and help get this team in thepostseason,” Kellerman said of a team that is 8-10 overall and 3-2in the Big West Conference. “But I’m off to study in Rome inJanuary. And I’ll be there until May.”
The trip is part of UCI’s “Summer in Rome” program. It will giveKellerman chance not only to study in Europe, but also to check outprofessional volleyball opportunities.
“Pretty soon I’m going to have to make a decision to keepplaying or jump into the real world,” Kellerman said. “I’m thinkingabout getting involved in sports management, but my options areabsolutely open. Going to Rome will give me a chance to scout thepro leagues in Europe. They play some strong volleyball inItaly.
“And I have a friend playing professionally in Germany, so I’llcheck that out, too.”
Kellerman admitted that playing in Europe would take her farfrom her comfort zone — the beach. Out of high school, she turneddown scholarship offers from the University of San Francisco andschools in the East to stay close to home.
“When I visited Irvine, I was sold,” Kellerman said. “Plus, welive in a place a couple of houses off the beach in Newport.
“Really, this has been a great experience, so much fun.”
In four years at UCI, Kellerman has pretty much toured thecountry. There was a trip this season to Notre Dame — a place shecalled “awesome, so cool” — and to Oregon, where the team took atour of Nike headquarters.
In past years, the Anteaters have played all over California, inFlorida, Arizona and Montana.
A two-time first-team All-Big West Conference selection, the6-foot Kellerman said volleyball wasn’t always her No. 1 sport.
“I played a lot of different sports (basketball, swimming andwater polo),” she said. “But once I started playing clubvolleyball, volleyball became my sport of focus.
“My junior year at Escondido, I only played volleyball. Once Icommitted to UCI, I was back to a multisport person my senioryear.”
Once she got to college, Kellerman realized how much work therewas to be done on the court.
“I thought I was prepared for college,” Kellerman said. “Butwhen I got here it was, ‘Wow!’ This is a totally different level.And you don’t realize it until you start playing. The biggestchange was the speed of the game.
“My freshman year, we had two seniors graduate, so I got throwninto it right away.”
Now, she says, she’s ready to throw herself into the final dozenmatches of her senior season. Then it’s off to Italy.Â
Men’s soccer
– Todd Wallenius (San Dieguito Academy) leads Whitman College inWashington with five goals and two assists. He has threegame-winning goals for the Missionaries, who are 6-1-5 overall and4-1-1 and in first place in conference play. He was recently namedthe conference player of the week.
– Sean Milich (Torrey Pines), a senior defender, has played insix matches for a 6-3-1 Dartmouth team.
– Sergio Castillo (Orange Glen), a sophom*ore defender, hasplayed in seven games and started two for No. 3-ranked Creighton.The 9-1-1 Blue Jays had six straight shutouts before posting a 3-2win over Evansville on Saturday.
– Ryan Schmitz (Rancho Bernardo) is the starting goalkeeper atUC Riverside. The sophom*ore has 43 saves with a 2.05 goals-againstaverage for the 3-7-1 Highlanders.
Women’s soccer
– Senior D Carrie Dew (La Costa Canyon) and junior G KelseyLysander (Rancho Bernardo) are the backbone of a Notre Dame teamthat is ranked No. 1 in the nation. Dew, a U.S. national teamplayer, is a four-year starter. Lysander has started all 13 gamesthis season for the unbeaten Irish. Lysander has eight shutouts,including one of traditional power North Carolina, and a 0.42goals-against average.
– Amanda Rupp (La Costa Canyon), a senior at Pepperdine, leadsthe 5-7-2 Waves with seven goals and five assists. She was recentlynamed to the team of the week for Soccer Buzz and Soccer Americamagazines after a two-goal, three-assist game against Idaho Statethat tied the school record for points in a game. Cammie Burke(Torrey Pines) has started 13 games as a sophom*ore defender andleads the Waves in minutes played with 1,225.
– Katie Seeger (Fallbrook), a junior defender, is a startingdefender on a 9-4-2 Purdue team. Roya Akhavain (Rancho Bernardo), asophom*ore midfielder, has played in 12 games for theBoilermakers.
– Camielle Malkiewicz (San Pasqual), a sophom*ore midfielder,leads John Brown University with four goals and four assists. RobynCluka (San Pasqual), a sophom*ore forward, has three goals and anassist. And Natiel Bauer (Rancho Bernardo), a sophom*ore midfielder,has started all 10 games for a team that is 7-3. John Brown is anNAIA school in Arkansas.Â
Field hockey
– Katelin Peterson (San Pasqual) started her college career witha bang, scoring in her first two matches for Richmond and earningAtlantic 10 rookie of the week honors. She leads the team with fivegoals — on just 14 shots — and two assists.
– Brittany Schultz (Poway), a midfielder, has worked her wayinto the rotation at Slippery Rock and scored her first collegegoal last week in a loss to Seton Hall.
– Lauren Greenwald (Torrey Pines) has played in 11 games withfive starts for No. 3-ranked Wake Forest. Greenwald is a sophom*oremidfielder for the 10-2 Deacons.
– Pam Seufert (Vista) has two goals and an assist as a sophom*orefor 3-8 Central Michigan.
– Katie Griswold (Torrey Pines) has started 10 of 12 games andhas two goals for 6-6 Indiana.
– Seventh-ranked Michigan has a trio of North County players:Heather Wiley (Torrey Pines), Christi Barwick (Torrey Pines) andAlex Zeringue (Fallbrook). Wiley has started all seven games andhas seven assists. Barwick is the starting goalie and has 25 savesand 14 goals allowed in nine games. Zeringue has seen action in sixgames.
– Johnna Simoes (Torrey Pines), a sophom*ore defender, has playedin eight games for an 8-4 Bucknell team.
– Jessica Reading (Torrey Pines), a senior back, has started all12 games and has a goal and two assists for Miami (Ohio).
– Four North County players — sophom*ore D Megan Pedersen (SanPasqual), junior D Brianna Cummins (Fallbrook), senior D SashaLarsen (Vista) and senior D Danielle Neault (Torrey Pines) — arestarters at Pacific. Victoria Matsumoto (Mission Hills) is also onthe roster.
Football
– Derrick McMahen (Fallbrook/Palomar College) is the No. 2strong safety at Wyoming. The senior has five solo tackles, sevenassists and one interception, which he returned 15 yards to set upthe game-winning field goal against North Dakota State.
– Shane Woodward (Vista) intercepted a pass and had six tacklesto lead No. 6-ranked Wheaton College to a 26-14 win over Augustana.Brian McMullen (Vista) contributed a tackle on special teams.
– Travis Goethel (Vista) started at linebacker for Arizona Stateand had four tackles (one for a loss) in the Sundevils’ 28-0 lossto USC. Thomas Altieri (Vista) started at center for ASU.
– TE Dominic Cinotto (Torrey Pines) is in his senior season atArmy.
– Cooper Stephenson (Torrey Pines) is the starting long snapperand a reserve tight end at USC. Freshman Drew Ness (Westview) isalso on the Trojans’ roster.
– Jake Harry (Torrey Pines/Palomar) is averaging 43.7 yards on10 punts at Missouri. TE Jon Gissinger (Poway) has played in allsix games for the Tigers and has one reception for 10 yards.
Colorado connection
The Buffaloes have six former North County football players ontheir roster.
– C Daniel Sanders (El Camino), who’s 6-foot-3, 315 pounds, wasa preseason All-Big 12 selection and is one of 43 players nominatedfor the Dave Rimington Award.
– Marquez Herrod (San Pasqual) is listed as No. 2 at rightdefensive end. The sophom*ore has eight tackles and three sacks.
– Cody Crawford (Torrey Pines) is a backup at receiver and haseight catches for 77 yards and a touchdown.
– Freshman TE Ryan Deehan (Poway) has four receptions for 39yards.
– TB Demetrius Sumler (Cathedral Catholic) has 28 carries for 77yards and is also being used as a kick returner.
– Freshman S Vince Ewing (Carlsbad) is also on the roster.
UCLA connection
The Bruins list five former North County players on theirroster. But the kicker is the brother combination of PhilipRauscher (La Costa Canyon) and Glenn Rauscher (LCC). Philip, whoplayed three seasons at UCLA as an offensive and defensive lineman,is now in his third year on the UCLA coaching staff. This season,he’s a graduate offensive assistant, working with offensivecoordinator Norm Chow. Glenn, a redshirt freshman, has moved fromdefense to offense and is playing tight end.
The others:
– Kevin Craft (Valley Center) is the starting quarterback.
– TB Craig Sheppard (San Pasqual), who played a major role wheninjuries hit the Bruins hard, is now a backup.
– Senior Nate Skaggs (Rancho Bernardo) is playing defensiveend.
– Freshman WR Nelson Rosario (El Camino) has been bothered byinjuries, but was on the field quite a bit when he was healthy.
Women’s volleyball
– Melissa Childs (Rancho Buena Vista), a junior setter at FortLewis College in Colorado, is having another sensational season. Anall-conference selection as a sophom*ore when she posted 1,264assists — second all-time at the school — she already had 585through 16 matches for the 12-4 Skyhawks. She also has 23 aces, 57digs and 17 blocks.
– Harvard freshman Anne Carroll Ingersoll (Torrey Pines) has wonthe Ivy League rookie of the week honor three times this season,including the last two in a row. She’s No. 2 on the team in kills(145) and leads in blocks (53). She had 11 kills and six blocksSaturday in a 3-2 loss to Yale. She had a career-high 19 kills andthree blocks in a 3-1 win over Dartmouth and 13 kills and fiveblocks against New Hampshire. Harvard is 7-9 this season.
– As UC Riverside heads into conference play, 6-foot-2 sophom*oreMB Shannon Moyneur (Valley Center) is seeing more time. She had 14blocks in a in a win over UC Davis on Friday. She has 23 kills and46 blocks for the Highlanders, who are 7-13.
– Senior Jade Machado (La Costa Canyon), a senior defensivespecialist/libero, had 45 digs and has played in 43 of 57 games forUCLA. Sophom*ore defensive specialist Jaz Machado (La Costa Canyon)has played in 35 games and has 17 digs and 10 aces. Freshman SAlexa Harper (La Costa Canyon) is also playing for the 12-4Bruins.
– Sarah Munoz (Santa Fe Christian), a senior starter at VirginiaTech, has 120 digs and four aces for a Hokies team that is13-3.
John Maffei’s Alumni Report appears every other Monday throughthe college season. He can be reached at (760) 740-3547, by fax at(760) 740-5045 or atjmaffei@nctimes.com. Readers areurged to submit information on former North County prepathletes.
