VALLEY / VENTURA COUNTY SPORTS : GIRLS’ VOLLEYBALL PREVIEW : La Reina Sets Its Sights Beyond Quarterfinals : With recent playoff failures fresh in their minds, Regents look to make the next step in ’99.

Better avoid that ‘Q’ word at La Reina High.

The concern over quartermasters or quarterback sneaks is minimal at the small all-girls school in Thousand Oaks.

But quarterfinals have caused a storm of problems in recent years.

Typically, the Regents have rolled through league play and won a match or two in the girls’ volleyball playoffs, only to lose in the quarterfinals.

Case in point: Last year, they went 18-0 during the regular season and won their first-round playoff match. Then came a grueling, five-game loss to Marymount in, as they prefer to call it at La Reina, the round before the semifinals.

It almost appears that 1990, the only time the Regents made it to the semifinals, is the exception rather than the rule.

This season, however, Coach Don Hyatt thinks his team can make a breakthrough.

Jennifer Ryan, a 6-foot-2 junior, has emerged as one of the top middle blockers in the region after a strong performance at the Volleyball Festival at UC Davis, one of the best club tournaments of the season.

Ryan was a force in the middle for Sports Shack, hitting and blocking with authority as her team won the girls’ 16-and-under division.

And she can pass, too. Unlike most middle blockers, she is not replaced by a defensive specialist when she rotates to the back row.

“She has some of the best ball control skills I’ve seen in a long time for a girl with her height,” said Sports Shack Coach Tim Jensen, who is also an assistant at Pepperdine. “She never comes out [of a match].”

Ashlie Hain, a 5-9 junior, is another reason the Regents could be celebrating after a quarterfinal victory. Hain was the setter for Sports Shack, but will assume the role of an outside hitter and setter at La Reina.

Lacy Ertel and Kristen Ward, a pair of 5-9 outside hitters, also give La Reina alternate options.

The Regents even have a luxury they haven’t enjoyed in the past--plenty of height.

Besides Ryan, Cara Kuebert, a 5-11 sophomore, and Christine Werner, a 6-1 junior, will see time at middle blocker. Sara Toon, a 5-10 sophomore, is also available.

The Tri-Valley League will not be strong this season, but the Regents aren’t ducking any competition. They have scheduled Westlake and Thousand Oaks for nonleague matches.

Ryan and Hain return next year, just in case the Regents fail to reach the semifinals.

“This won’t be our last chance to do it,” Hain said. “But I’d like to get it done this year so the pressure’s off.”

Other teams to watch from the region:

* Royal: The Highlanders won the Division I-A championship last year, but lost I-A player of the year Courtney Guerra, now at California. Royal does have three seniors who can put away the ball: 5-11 outside hitter Kellie Lyons, 5-11 middle blocker Andreja Balach and 6-1 opposite hitter Amanda Kiser.

“You’re just not going to have many Courtney Guerras,” Royal Coach Bob Ferguson said. “But we do have very solid hitting all around. The attack is more well-rounded.”

* Harvard-Westlake: Few teams are taller in the region. Kelly Ayers is 6-1, Courtney Schultz is 6-0 and Karalyn Kuchenbecker is 5-11. Even the Wolverines’ setter, Ashley Julian, is 6-1. But the key to the season may be 5-9 senior Jessica Kronstadt, the team’s best passer.

* Buena: Krystal McFarland may be the Bulldogs’ go-to player, but Kelly Greathouse, a 6-3 middle blocker who excels in basketball, will play an important part. Setter Janee Richards runs the show.

* Westlake: Tawny Thorp, a 5-7 outside hitter, and Lauren Mills, a 5-7 setter, could make the Warriors the biggest threat to Royal in the Marmonte League. The Warriors play Buena and La Reina in a two-week span later this month.

* Thousand Oaks: The Lancers are not lacking in height or experience. Returning seniors Erica Mahan, a 5-11 middle blocker, and Jen Corral, a 5-10 outside hitter, could give Royal and Westlake trouble.

* Flintridge Sacred Heart: The Tologs have finished second to Harvard-Westlake the last three years in the Mission League. Outside hitter Brynne Young, a 5-8 senior, is one of five returning starters.

* Sylmar: Five starters return, including 5-11 middle blocker Kassy Jimenez and 5-8 outside hitter Stephanie Cisneros. A City Championship may be far-fetched--Palisades is again a strong favorite--but the Spartans should advance to at least the semifinals.

* Notre Dame: Sarah Braga, a 5-8 leaper at outside hitter, and Sara Plummer, a 6-0 outside hitter, have the Knights looking at a playoff spot.

* Chatsworth: The Chancellors are not overly tall--starters Breeanna Rahn, Shannon DeVos and Leila Pate are all under 5-8--but they could be a factor in the playoffs. Sophomore middle blockers Linda Wang, 6-0, and Heather Rizzo, 5-11, are young but improving.

At a Glance

* THE PROVEN: Michaela Skelly, a 5-9 senior at Royal, may be the best setter in the region. Harvard-Westlake middle blocker Kelly Ayers was an All-Division III-A selection last season. Buena 5-9 outside hitter Krystal McFarland will be without setting duties this season and concentrate on passing and hitting. Trisha Bratford, a 6-0 senior at Taft, is among the top blockers in the region. Kassy Jimenez, a 5-11 senior at Sylmar, is a two-time All-City selection. Valencia can count on 5-11 middle blocker Sarah Foster and 5-8 setter Jennifer Edwards. Senior outside hitters Kelly Gaudino and Julie Taylor make La Canada a force in the Rio Hondo League. Poly middle blocker Youssra Marjoua is back after an All-City performance.

* THE PROMISING: Harvard-Westlake middle blocker Courtney Schultz, a 5-11 sophomore, is already an integral part of the Wolverines’ offense. Flintridge Sacred Heart outside hitter Brynne Young will try to fill the void left by Megan Hosp, now at South Carolina. Van Nuys setter Margot Wallace, a 5-10 junior, could bring the Wolves back to their winning ways of a few years ago. Juniors Megan O’Connell and Colleen Hamlin are among six returning starters for Louisville. Mele Misi, a 5-10 middle blocker, has Crescenta Valley pointed toward a second consecutive Pacific League title. At Lancaster, 6-1 middle blocker Tiffany Thompson could help the Eagles unseat Highland as Golden League champion.

* FAST FACT: Royal and Harvard-Westlake were the only teams from the region to win section championships last year. Royal won the Division I-A title and Harvard-Westlake won the Division III-A championship.

The Top 10

Preseason rankings of girls’ volleyball teams from the region

Rank School (League)

1. Royal (Marmonte)

2. Harvard-Westlake (Mission)

3. La Reina (Tri-Valley)

4. Buena (Channel)

5. Westlake (Marmonte)

6. Thousand Oaks (Marmonte)

7. Flintridge Sacred Heart (Mission)

8. Sylmar (Valley Mission)

9. Notre Dame (Mission)

10. Chatsworth (West Valley)