Tessa Sphar            #5

5-11, Senior

Outside Hitter

San Jose, CA

Archbishop Mitty High School

City Beach Volleyball Club

AT HOFSTRA

2004: First team All-Colonial Athletic Association selection...CoSIDA/ESPN the Magazine Academic All-District I selection...Played 93 games in 26 matches...Recorded 311 kills, 218 digs, 36 blocks and 20 service aces...Tied for team lead in kills and led in kills per game (3.34)...Posted a .250 hitting percentage...Ranked fourth in the CAA in kill average...Had double-digit kills in 18 matches...Posted a season-high of 21 kills versus UC Riverside...Added 20 kills at James Madison and Virginia Commonwealth...Notched 15 digs versus William & Mary and at Virginia Commonwealth...Had a season-high three blocks versus Central Connecticut, Binghamton, St. John's, James Madison and Delaware...CAA Player of the Week on October 11...All-tournament selection at the Kentucky Conference Challenge...Received CAA Commissioner's Academic Award...2003: First team All-Colonial Athletic Association selection...Coca-Cola Team Most Valuable Player...All-CAA Championship selection...Played 116 games in all 30 matches...Led team with 462 kills, 346 digs and 40 service aces...Ranked fifth in the CAA in kills and service aces, and ninth in digs...Posted a .236 hitting percentage...Had 45 blocks...Had double-digit kills in 26 matches...Had 10 or more digs in 17 matches...Blasted 26 kills versus St. John's and at Long Island University...Had 24 kills and 20 digs versus George mason in CAA title match...Slammed 24 kills in a regular season meeting with George Mason...Had 21 kills and 24 digs versus eastern Kentucky...Posted 23 kills and 12 digs in CAA semifinals against Towson...Served four aces against Saint Peter's and William & Mary...Had four blocks at UNC Wilmington...Received CAA Commissioner's Academic Award...2002: Played 88 games in 30 matches...Tallied 264 kills, 212 digs, 33 blocks and a team-best 39 service aces...Had a .235 hitting percentage...Ranked third on the team in kills and digs...Ranked second on the team in kills per game (3.00)...Was second on the team in digs per game (2.41)...Ranked seventh in the Colonial Athletic Association in service aces per game (0.44)...Was in double-digit kills in 15 matches...Opened collegiate career with 13 kills and 19 digs versus Kentucky...Contributed 17 kills, 12 digs and five service aces at George Mason...Notched 17 digs against Morehead State...Served four aces against Morehead State, Stetson and North Carolina Wilmington...Had 13 kills, 10 digs and six blocks versus Yale...Two-time Colonial Athletic Association Rookie of the Week...All-tournament selection at the Hofstra/Asics Invitational.

BACKGROUND: Played two years of volleyball at Archbishop Mitty High School in San Jose, California...Played two years of volleyball and one year of basketball at Lynbrook High School in California before enrolling at Archbishop Mitty...Helped lead Archbishop Mitty to the California Interscholastic Federation/Central Coast section state championship as a senior...Named Blossom Valley Athletic League Co-Most Valuable Player as a senior...Named BVAL Senior of the Year...Named to All-San Jose Mercury News team as a senior and junior...Selected to the all-tournament team at the California State Championship...Archbishop Mitty Player of the Year as a senior and junior...BVAL MVP as a junior...CIF/CCS Junior of the Year...All-Santa Clara Valley Athletic League selection as a freshman and sophomore...Third team All-San Jose Mercury News pick as a sophomore...Has won several championships with various club teams, including a gold medal at the 2000 USAV Junior Nationals with Club Yahoo!...Member of the National Honor Society.  

PERSONAL: Has one brother and one sister...Donates her time to several charitable causes, including the National Charity League and the Second Harvest Food Bank...Plans to pursue a career in broadcast journalism...Public relations major with a minor in Spanish.

Catching up with Tessa:
People who have had the greatest influence on my athletic career: My middle school coach Roger Adams
My hobbies include: watching old movies, learning movie trivia
My favorite TV shows are: "Law and Order: SVU", "ER"
My favorite books are: "To Kill a Mockingbird" by Harper Lee, "Harry Potter" novels by J.K. Rowling
My favorite movies are: "Roman Holiday", "How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days"
My favorite foods are: enchiladas, frozen yogurt
My favorite vacation spot is: Jackson Hole, Wyoming
My favorite musical performer is: Fleetwood Mac
My favorite sport other than volleyball is: baseball
Athlete I most admire: J.T. Snow
If I could do one thing better it would be: to use my left hand more
Interesting fact about myself: I can touch my nose with my tongue
My greatest sports moment was: winning the gold medal at the Junior Olympics and winning a 1A California state championship
My best friend on another team: Jessica Herrera (Gonzaga)

CAREER HIGHS

Kills:                26, last at Long Island University (9-10-03)           

Assists:          3, last at Virginia Commonwealth (11-7-03)         

Blocks:           6 vs. Yale (11-12-02)           

Aces:              5 at George Mason (10-5-02)        

Digs:               24 vs. Eastern Kentucky (9-12-03)

CAREER STATISTICS

Year        MP         GP           K          E           TA           PCT.        A           SA       BS      BA        DG

2002       30           88            264       103       686          .235         19         39        1          32         212

2003       30           116          462       154       1306       .236         22         40        0          45         346

2004       26           93            311       108       812          .250         21         20        1          35         218

Career    86           297          1037    365       2804       .240         62         99        2          112       776