Canyon May Have to Forfeit L.A. Games Volleyball Title for Using Ineligible Player

The Canyon High girls volleyball team used an ineligible player in winning the L.A. Games competition last month and may be forced to relinquish its title, The Times learned Thursday. The L.A. Games Committee is expected to announce today whether Canyon will be stripped of the title, and Burroughs of Burbank awarded the first-place trophy.

Canyon Coach Ardyce Masters said Thursday she used Tami Aldrich, who graduated in June, in the final three matches of the L.A. Games tournament June 29. Aldrich was selected the most valuable player of the tournament. The award was presented in the name of Shannon Miller, whose jersey Aldrich wore at the tournament. Miller was one of five Canyon players who participated in a tournament at UC Davis the same day.

Masters said she used Aldrich when her team was left short-handed by the players who left for UC Davis.

Aldrich was an All-Southern Section 3-A Division first-team selection last season as a senior. Seniors who graduated in June are not eligible to play in the L.A. Games, according to Willie Hooker, chairman of the 1986 L.A. Games.

“I assumed she would be eligible,” Masters said of Aldrich. “There were no rosters turned in and you can use your seniors in most of the other tournaments during the summer.”

Canyon won three matches that day and defeated Burroughs, 9-15, 15-13, 15-8 in the final.

Susan Shanks, volleyball coordinator for the L.A. Games, said that Canyon Principal Bill White notified the L.A. Games committee Thursday that Canyon might have used an ineligible player.

White could not be reached for comment Thursday.

“Normally I would not have played her,” Masters said, “because I would want to play somebody who was going to be back.”

Masters said in the five years she had teams in the L.A. Games she never used a graduate, but did so this year because of the players’ departures.

“It was an innocent mistake,” Masters said.

On Wednesday, Burroughs Coach Linda Murphy said she was under the impression that graduated seniors could play. She added that she did not use any in the tournament. Murphy said that she and Masters talked Wednesday night about the possible disqualification of Canyon.

“I’m kind of reeling from the whole thing myself right now,” Murphy said. “It’s not the way you want to win a championship. I think it’s unfortunate that if a player was not eligible that they were playing.”

Aldrich could not be reached for comment Thursday.