Finkelstein Hoping to Be Back in Service

At some point, Mindy Finkelstein hopes to walk onto a volleyball court and serve.

She will then step off the court, out of harm’s way, and let the point play itself out.

Chatsworth High might score. Its opponent might force a side-out. Either way, Finkelstein’s season will be made.

Finkelstein has been looking forward to this moment since the beginning of the girls’ volleyball season, when it became evident she would not be recovered from two gunshot wounds sustained at a Granada Hills day care center on Aug. 10.

Finkelstein, a camp counselor at the North Valley Jewish Community Center, was shot by a gunman in the thigh and calf of her right leg. Authorities have charged Buford O. Furrow Jr. with the attack.

She was expected to be a reserve middle blocker this season for Chatsworth, but was on crutches until two weeks ago. Doctors are concerned about the strength of the femur bone in her right leg and have advised her not to play for at least another three weeks.

If she is cleared to play, her participation likely will be very limited. No jumping. No hitting. No blocking. Only serving.

Until then, Finkelstein sits on the bench during matches, sometimes wearing her game jersey, sometimes not.

The Chancellors (7-0) are expected to advance far into the City Section playoffs. Finkelstein wishes she could contribute.

“You know you’re still part of it, but you’re not,” Finkelstein said. “I miss everything about it.”

Finkelstein, dubbed an assistant coach by Coach Bud Dow, sometimes has to leave the gym because of loud noises. A volleyball banging against the ground. A coach or teammate yelling.

She has tried to express her emotions in a college-entrance essay. Part of it is about the shooting.

“Writing about it is the worst because it brings everything back,” she said. “After the shooting, I didn’t want to talk about it. It’s hard because it comes from such deep emotions.”

Above all else, she wants to serve. It could happen next month if she is cleared to play.

“It’d be awesome if I could play one game,” she said. “Especially if it was the [City] Championship.”

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Coach Manny Payan of Santa Paula better like coffee.

Payan, a sales representative for a coffee manufacturer, spends his days distributing coffee beans to retail stores.

His coverage area is from Calabasas to Paso Robles, which means he’s up and running as early as 1:30 a.m. to make the long drive north.

Tuesday, he was late to board the team bus to Santa Clara for a match.

“I was about five minutes late,” he said. “But the bus driver waited for me.”

Good thing.

Under the guidance of Payan, a third-year coach, the Cardinals (9-1, 3-0 in league play) are off to one of their best starts.

Payan credits outside hitter Gina Morgan and setter Jennifer Eastlake, a transfer from St. Bonaventure, for leading the way.

He is equally impressed by middle blocker Sarah Kolbeck, who is also running cross-country this fall.

“She’s juggling a lot,” Payan said.

So is her coach.

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Sylmar has rebounded nicely after losing Kassy Jimenez, a two-time All-City middle blocker who injured a knee last month against Poly and is probably out for the season.

Pivotal to the Spartans’ success was winning the Venice tournament on Oct. 2

“I think our kids got a lot of confidence playing well without her,” Coach Bob Thomson of Sylmar said.

The Spartans (6-1, 4-0) host the Sylmar tournament on Saturday, which features several of the best City teams in the region, including Chatsworth, Taft and Poly.

“It should be a prelude to the playoffs,” Thomson said. “Most of the top City teams are there except for Palisades and Garfield.”

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The Top 10

Rankings of region volleyball teams

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RK LW School (League) Rec. 1 1 La Reina (Tri-Valley) 11-0 2 2 Harvard-Westlake (Mission) 14-5 3 5 Westlake (Marmonte) 11-2 4 3 Royal (Marmonte) 16-4 5 4 La Canada (Rio Hondo) 9-0 6 6 Oxnard (Pacific View) 9-3 7 7 Chatsworth (West Valley) 7-0 8 8 Flintridge Sacred Heart (Mission) 6-2 9 10 Valencia (Foothill) 10-2 10 NR Buena (Channel) 9-5

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