Torreys junior determined to make most of her height
LJCD’s 6-6 middle blocker combines stature with skills
“I cannot change my height, so I’ve learned to embrace it,” says LJCD junior Sami Francis, who has earned All-San Diego Section honors. (K.C. Alfred U-T)
BY TERRY MONAHAN

Everything Sami Francis does seems to get noticed.
Something as simple as walking into a gym draws immediate attention.
It’s been that way virtually her entire life.
Francis, a junior middle blocker on the La Jolla Country Day volleyball team, has become accustomed to the attention.
Most elite volleyball teams have girls at least 6 feet tall playing near the net.
Francis, born in San Diego, falls into a different category.
The fourth of five children in the family, Francis is by far the tallest sibling at 6-feet-6.
“I can’t get measured in the doctor’s office anymore,” Francis said, laughing. “Their device to measure patients only goes up to 6-4.
“They just take my word for it when it comes to my height now.”
Dad Sean is 6-7 and mom Victoria is 5-9, but Francis’ two sisters are both 5-9 and an older brother is 6-2. A younger brother is just 10 years old.
For volleyball, being tall advances your individual skills as well as the team’s outlook in matches against good, bad and elite opponents.
When you have volleyball skills to go along with that height, you have a player whose ceiling has few limits.
Francis is one of those players loaded with potential for the next level and beyond.
“I want to take volleyball as far as I can,” Francis said. “Whether it’s playing in Europe or playing on the Olympic team.
“Last winter I was invited to train at the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs. That was so cool.”
Francis’ impact at La Jolla Country Day was sudden and impressive.
She was named a first-team All-San Diego Section hitter as a freshman and followed that last season with more all-section honors.
Francis topped the team in kills (348) and blocks (99) as a freshman in 2017.
Last year she was first in kills (426), second in aces (60), first in blocks (67) and third in digs (197) for LJCD, which is ranked fourth in the section this season with an 8-4 record.
“She sees the game so well,” said first-year Torreys head coach Tina Kinkead, who faced Francis twice a year as an assistant coach at Bishop’s in the Coastal League. “Right now, she anticipates the game very well, better than you’d think.
“Typically, 6-5 girls just stand at the net, but Sami can do everything on the court.”
Francis draws defenders on nearly every play. Her presence on the court frees teammates for cleaner hits.
About the only time she doesn’t see a double or even a triple block in front of her is when she’s in class.
“Once in a blue moon, I’ll have a one-up blocker,” Francis said. “I love having all those blockers my way because it means someone else is wide open.
“That’s a compliment. Even when I don’t get a pass, there’s something I can do to help my team.”
As of yet, Francis has not committed to a college, though plenty of schools have expressed interest.
Players with the rare combination of her size and talent don’t come along very often.
“I cannot change my height, so I’ve learned to embrace it,” said Francis, whose nickname is “Frosty” for the blond streaks in her hair. “If you want to heckle me because of my size, go ahead. I’m pretty good at zoning out the crowd.”
She does, however, notice the look she gets when she walks into the gym.
“At University City (last Tuesday), I can tell when people are looking me up and down for the first time,” she said. “I know what that look is all about.
“One time I played against a girl from Colorado who was 6-8 and another girl was 6-10,” recalled Francis. “But they could both play really well.”
So can Sami Francis.
Monahan is a freelance writer.