(back)

Hoop pair head separate ways after signing national intent letters

By Brian Gomez

After teaming up to carry on a tradition of excellence in athletics at Corona del Sol High School, seniors Breanna Pursley and Alexis Timpone will go their separate ways.

Pursley has enrolled at Texas Tech to play volleyball, while Timpone is headed for Vanguard University to play basketball.

The longtime friends both signed national letters of intent at their respective institutions earlier this month.

During the 2000-2001 season, their names became virtually synonymous because of the dual leadership they provided during the state basketball championship. They would have accomplished the feat again this past year had it not been for a 41-38 loss to Mountain Pointe in the state finals.

Pursley has since lost her flare for the game of basketball, while Timpone’s spirit has also taken a hit. The two will now find themselves separated by more than 1,000 miles.

Pursley says she always dreamed of playing basketball at the collegiate level, but got burned out this past season and decided to pursue volleyball instead.

She was recruited heavily by Arkansas, Tennessee and Michigan State. She also considered attending one of the three instate schools, but chose Texas Tech following an official visit to the Lubbock campus in December.

“I wanted to go out of state and meet new people,” said Pursley, who recently returned from Kansas where she competed on the Arizona East Valley Juniors, a club team that qualified for nationals.

“I knew if I stayed here, I would be around my friends and it would be hard to be committed to a team.”

The 5-foot-10 outside hitter garnered all-state honors this past season after guiding Corona to the state title game, where it suffered a 2-0 setback against Mountain Pointe. Pursley is known most for her crafty footwork and powerful arm swing.

“She’s a great athlete and a great fit for our program. She’s a very hard-working kid,” said Texas Tech head coach Jeff Nelson, who enters his eighth year at the helm this fall.

“You get a lot of kids who are great athletes, but it’s the kids who have some of the intangibles that really excel. I like her spirit and the way she pursues things. When you have that, it rubs off on people.”

Pursley will join a team that amassed an 18-14 record last season with a loss at Utah in the opening round of the NCAA tournament. The Red Raiders finished tied for seventh place in the Big 12 Conference with a 9-11 mark.

Texas Tech is led by junior outside hitter Melissa McGehee, who was named an honorable mention All-Big 12 selection after tallying 382 kills and 382 digs for an average of 3.35 per game in both categories. The Red Raiders lose four seniors to graduation this year, but will return five starters.

“The two kids who took the most swings last year are back,” said Nelson, whose team recently wrapped up its spring season.

“The general feeling is real high right now.”

Joining Pursley at Texas Tech is Christina Miller, a middle blocker from Coronado High School in Lubbock who also signed April 10.

Nelson inked a pair of prospects last November during the early signing period in setter Abby Schukman (Lansing, Kan.) and middle blocker/outside hitter Deandra Johnson (Amarillo, Texas).

“The biggest transition (from high school) is the speed of the game,” Nelson said. “The players are stronger, have been on weight programs longer and hit the ball harder.”

For Timpone, playing basketball in the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics is somewhat of a step back from the Division I level. But she couldn’t pass up an opportunity to become a part of Vanguard head coach Russ Davis’ team in Costa Mesa, Calif.

“The area is just awesome. I’m really excited about that,” Timpone said. “It’s not a school I would have pictured myself going to. But I just felt like I had to live in the city.”

While at Corona, Timpone established herself as one of the team’s most prolific scorers. She sees the floor well and is good in transition.

Timpone flourished this past season despite being hampered by a stress fracture. She still has bitter feelings after she and Pursley combined for only 20 points in Corona’s season-ending loss to Mountain Pointe.

“There were really no excuses because, nine times out of 10, we would have beaten them,” said Timpone, whose team was 3-1 versus the Pride during the regular season. “Everyone was nervous and uptight.”

Vanguard went 17-12 (13-7 Golden State Athletic Conference) this past year, having dropped an 87-65 decision to Central State in the first round of the NAIA playoffs. The Lions lose four seniors, including a pair in the backcourt, giving Timpone a legitimate chance to start at point guard.

Reach the reporter at brian.gomez@wranglernews.com.

(back)