A Lethal Combination
Herndon junior Logan Westphal began playing basketball at a young age. She gave it her best effort, but was never one of the better players on the court.
"I couldn't catch, and I was never really good, but I could jump up and stuff people," she says.
She knew the perfect sport for her.
"I kind of assumed I'd be able to play volleyball," she says.
It helped that her old sister, Britany, had played in high school and now plays for Elon University.
"I wanted to be just like her," Westphal says.
Since finding her calling, Westphal has blossomed into one of Northern Virginia's finest volleyball players.
Now as the team leader, Westphal doesn't seem like she's only been playing volleyball for only three years. But when you mix good inspiration, a strong work ethic, and great athleticism, the learning curve can be rounded quickly. This junior and the young, but talented, Herndon varsity volleyball team (comprised of only one senior) have had a great deal of success this season.
At 5-feet-11 and with one of the highest vertical jumps in the area (27 inches) certain parts of Westphal's game stand out.
"I can jump up and hit the ball down really well," she says. "I love stuffing people in the face, and I love hitting it down when they think they're cool. I just like hitting and blocking though my biggest weakness is that I sometimes have problems adjusting to the ball when hitting."
Varsity volleyball coach Pat Smith says, "She's one of the top blockers on the team, even though she plays outside, which is not really a blocking spot. She still manages to get involved in most blocks."
Early on, Westphal was one of the top ranked players on her team in kills (76), hitting percentage (.163), and serving percentage (93%).
Westphal is an effective leader and has helped develop chemistry with a close-knit team. Smith says, "She gets along with most of the team. The rest of the girls voted her captain so obviously they look up to her as a player."
Teammate Jessica Schryber said, "Logan's great to have as a teammate because she's always ready to go, ready to play, and when she hits the ball they can't get it up. I love playing with her."
Lesley Buckingham added, "She is a nice a girl and a great friend."
Herndon's 13-1 start is impressive considering the team's youth.
"We learn fast, which is good," Westphal says.
Westphal also has high aspirations for herself and her team.
"I want to go really far in regionals because last year we lost in the first round to West Springfield, which I'm still bitter about," she says. "I also hope I play well enough to get awards, maybe first team all-district or all-region."
With her great drive and hunger for competition, those wishes may come true.
The rise to excellence did not come easy for Westphal. She made junior varsity as a freshman, and varsity as a sophomore. But she didn't blossom until this season.
Smith says Westphal had a couple good games as a sophomore and began hitting well from the outside. And another offseason spent playing Junior Olympic volleyball in the Chesapeake Region Volleyball Association helped as well.
"She tries really hard in practice and comes to extra sessions," Smith says. "She's always trying to improve the weaker parts of her game so that she can be better than her opponents. She's having a really good year, much improved from last year."
Westphal still has another year to go, but she's already decided that she hopes to pursue volleyball at the college level.
"I really want to get a scholarship for volleyball, because I want to go out of state, hopefully somewhere where I can take a good computer technology course," she says.
Though she has already established herself as a force in the Concorde District, Westphal knows many aspects of her game need adjusting, and that continual improvement is crucial for future success.
"She's very responsive to coaching," Smith says. "She's been trying really hard to work on her weaknesses and widen her hitting range."
With talent, size, athleticism, and dedication, Westphal poses a lethal combination to her opponents.
