SALT LAKE TRIBUNE: Munns pivotal for Bees
This entry was posted on 11/9/2007 7:34 AM and is filed under Girls Youth Basketball, Girls Basketball News.
An article written regarding Metro player Mandy Munns.
Below is an article reprinted from the Salt Lake Tribune
Prep volleyball: Munns pivotal for Bees
Future Ute basketball player looking to end volleyball career with a state championship
On Friday, Mandy Munns and the rest of her Box Elder teammates will leave town early so they can get to the Class 4-A state tournament at Utah Valley State College in Orem at around 7 a.m. The tournament doesn't start until 9 a.m.
But like the years before, the Bees like to be the first team there so they can take in the empty arena and enjoy the calm before the storm.
"We usually step in there and they're just turning on the lights," Munns said. "I love the feeling when you step in there. Everything you've worked for, all the time and energy and everything is on the line. This is where it's at. That's when you start getting the butterflies."
Munns just might take an extra moment to realize that it's her last volleyball tournament and last time she'll be playing with these teammates.
"I'm really going to miss [volleyball]," Munns said. "I love the girls on my team. The coaches have been amazing. It's fun that I can go out there and have no worries and no concerns."
Munns will put her 6-foot-3 frame to good use at the University of Utah next season. But Munns won't be on the volleyball court. She is going to Utah on a basketball scholarship.
The state tournament will be Munns' last memory of competitive volleyball and she wants it to be a good one.
compete. She loves to win," said Box Elder coach Robin Mecham. "Basketball is her No. 1 sport, but she probably could have played volleyball in college. She can hit the ball super hard. She's just a power player."
That's part of the reason why the Bees have been so successful this season. The Bees are the No. 1 team coming out of Region 5. All season long, Munns has been a good complement to Tiffany Wilde, Box Elder's other dynamic player.
"It's not like she has the best stats in the whole world but I think other teams know about her and they're so focused on blocking her," Mecham said. "It opens up a lot of things for my other players."
Region 5 coaches know what it's like to have to play against an opponent like Munns.
"She's pretty intimidating," said Woods Cross coach Donna Tippets. "She just has a large presence on the court."
For Munns, it's never been about statistics, records or region titles. Playing volleyball has been a relief. It's still competitive but she doesn't have the pressure of always having a good game because she's trying to impress different colleges, like she had to deal with at times in basketball.
Playing volleyball always has been about having fun, and that's something she's determined to continue doing before she leaves it all behind.
"So far this season, I've had no regrets. I look forward to practice and games," Munns said.
mthach@sltrib.com
