Volleyball standout from Archbishop Mitty of San Jose led team to title of its own tournament 

Note: For this weekly award, we are looking for those student-athletes who had a standout performance in their sport from the previous week, but we also are looking for a balance between athletic achievement, academic work in the classroom, community service or overcoming adversity. Send any nominations each week to mark@studentsports.com.

By Harold Abend, Special to CalHiSports.com

Our girls honoree for this week is the first from the Bay Area and Northern California, and she's from a Santa Clara Valley school that is well known for athletic success. In fact, her Archbishop Mitty of San Jose school was State School of the Year for 2006-07 and last year was judged tops in the state overall for girls sports.

Over the years, many stars have blossomed at Mitty, including Kerri Walsh and Brandi Chastain.

Our honoree for this week even had to give up her volleyball jersey since the school recently retired Walsh's number after her recent Olympic performance that garnered her a second gold medal.

	Kristina Graven

As was the case last week, when any one of three girls from La Costa Canyon's volleyball team could have garnered the girls' state athlete of the week honor, the same holds true this week with Mitty and head coach Bret Almazan-Cezar's star-studded line-up.

Almazan-Cezar may have two D1 committed seniors, and two juniors who are getting plenty of attention from major colleges, but only one girl on his championship team could win the MVP of the host's Archbishop Mitty Invitational Volleyball Tournament last weekend and that girl was Kristina Graven.

Now, besides being the ESPN RISE CalHiSports.com Girls State Athlete of the Week, she's also the ESPN RISE Girls Western Regional winner this week as well.   

"With a team that has so much firepower, Kristina's dominance can disappear, Almazan-Cezar said. "Plus, she not a rah-rah type. She's a quiet leader who lends stability to the team.

That firepower and stability has earned Mitty an 18-1 record after an Oct. 1 win over Sacred Heart Cathedral of San Francisco, and a No. 2 spot in ESPN  RISE FAB 50 national rankings.

Mitty's only loss is to No. 1 La Costa Canyon, a 2-1 defeat at the Durango Tournament in Las Vegas where Graven recorded 11 kills and six digs.

"This time (at Mitty tourney) it was her turn to shine, Almazan-Cezar remarked. "She showed everyone why she's such an outstanding all-around player. Besides Kristina's offensive dominance at the net, she digs, serves, receives, and does it all well. I think it's because she's such a good athlete.  

Besides volleyball, Graven has tried other sports, including swimming, synchronized swimming, and Taekwondo. "She dabbled in a lot of sports before finding volleyball, said Almazan-Cezar with a hint of thankfulness in his voice.

And why shouldn't the coach be thankful. His junior star was invited to try out for the Youth National Team as a sophomore and made the squad before tearing her meniscus at the camp in May.

"My knee is 100 percent now but I'm still getting back into my touch and technique. I'll try out for the team again this year, Graven said.

Mitty's opponents certainly can't tell the 6-foot outside hitter isn't in her finest form, and the numbers don't show it, either.

In the four-game title match victory of the Mitty Invitational against FAB 50 No. 22 Santa Barbara, Graven delivered a match-high (and personal season-high) 16 kills and finished off the second set with a winner. She also played solid defense with nine digs.

For the season, Graven has 127 kills and a 46.5 kill percentage; 24 aces and a 95.3 serving percentage; 81 digs, 16 blocks, and 152 serves received without an error.

Not only is Graven an athlete that is multi-talented, but she also puts up gigantic numbers in the classroom. At a tough academic school like Mitty, she carries a 4.21 GPA.

"Kristina's one of those kids that every teacher likes, Almazan-Cezar said.

No wonder so many of the nation's top volleyball schools are recruiting Graven. With her game, attitude on the court, and those grades, the sky's the limit.

In fact, so many schools are pursuing her, neither she nor her coach really wanted to throw out the names this early in the process.

"I've been contacted by several major colleges with top programs but I'm still undecided and haven't narrowed it down, said Graven, who would like to study biology or psychology and find a career in the medical or genetics field.

As is the case with almost every student athlete, the conversation turned to family, friends and teammates.

It seems Kristina is a chip off the old block when it comes to being multi-sport talented.

Her father, Andy, grew up in San Jose's Willow Glen neighborhood where he played basketball in high school. Currently an engineer, he does triathlons and competed this summer. "He always takes his bike to work to ride at lunch and even rides there sometimes, said Graven proudly.

Her mother, Carolyn, who also grew up in Willow Glen, played tennis in high school.

Little brother, 12-year-old Eric, plays lots of sports, but according to sis, he likes volleyball best.

As for the team, you don't get to No. 2 in the nation without lots of stars.

Senior opposite hitter and UC Irvine-bound Taylor Smith is third on the team with 119 kills and had 12 in the Santa Barbara victory.

Virginia Tech-bound Morgan O'Neill, a 5-9 outside hitter/libero, leads the team with 95 digs.

Junior 5-10 outside hitter Rachel Williams, who is garnering as much attention from colleges as Graven, had 12 kills against Santa Barbara. She leads the team in kills with 212 and is second in digs with 88.

"We all get along really well on and off the court, Graven said. "Our goal is to win state but we know to get there we'll have to improve and get better, and work hard toward that goal.

About two weeks into the season, and after already being assigned jersey No. 9 after wearing No. 6 last season, the administration decided to retire No. 9.

No doubt the decision was made because former Monarch, Stanford star, and two-time Olympic gold medalist Walsh wore that number at Mitty. After her performance this summer in Beijing it was a slam dunk decision.

"I only had it (No. 9) for about two weeks, said a chuckling Kristina, who now wears No. 12 after giving No. 9 to Walsh at a ceremony last month. "She comes around a lot because she has cousins on the team, but it's still exciting to see her.

Who knows? With her game and grades maybe she can follow Walsh and go to Stanford.

Before then, there's work to do and a state championship to be won, after Mitty lost the Div. II crown in four games last year to Mira Costa (Manhattan Beach) before a home crowd at the San Jose State Event Center.

This year, the state volleyball championship on Dec. 6 goes back down south to the UC Irvine Bren Center.

Somehow we see Graven and her Monarch teammates in the Division II final once again.