Fans favor Crimes

By Moria Khou
Online Forty-Niner
Staff Writer

A disgruntled and offbeat Yale volleyball dad heckled all game long during the Sept. 11 match against Long Beach State in frustration of his team's play, and the object of his discontent was non other than 49ers' Alexis Crimes.

"Stop jumping so high," he shouted.

Crimes, a true freshman from Etiwanda High School in Rancho Cucamonga received letters from top-10 volleyball schools around the country like Stanford, UCLA and USC, but decided that 49er's Head Coach Brian Gimmillero's program was right for her.

"The coaching staff showed confidence in me and my potential and I feel that sky's the limit," she said. "I wouldn't trade places to be on the number one team in the country because I know in a few years we will be there."

Crimes was highly touted during her final season at Etiwanda and was named the No. 6 recruit for the 2004 class by PrepVolleyball.com. She has smoothly transitioned her great play to the collegian ranks this season for all to see.

The freshman spoke with great poise and was steadfast and straightforward when she expressed her ambitions on the court.

"I want to be an all around player who can hit, dig, pass and block," she said.

Just as her predecessors, Misty May, Tayyiba Haneef, Danielle Scott and Tara Cross-Battle, Crimes has aspirations of becoming an Olympian. She hopes to be in Beijing for the 2008 Olympics and is off to a very promising start.

Unlike her assurance on the hardwood, Crimes, like many other freshmen, is a undecided about her educational direction. The 49ers' star player is hesitant about her major but is considering biology or psychology because she wants to study pre-medicine after she graduates. It should be noted that Crimes' majors of interest mirror the television shows she watches, which include Crime Scene Investigation (CSI), Without a Trace and Smallville.

"I like to figure out peoples problem," she said.In addition to volleyball, she was a three-sport prep athlete for Etiwanda High School. She competed in basketball and track and field. For this season, the freshman just wants to concentrate on volleyball.

"The college and dorm life is fast-paced," she said. "At times it's overwhelming but Mariko [Crum] helps me stay grounded."

Adjusting to the college scene can be difficult but Crimes often finds solitude and takes advice from teammates Jillian Mazzarella and roommate Crum. Crum has told the freshman to prioritize and to put school first, while Mazzarella has taught Crimes to be more vocal and aggressive on the court.

Standing at 6-foot-3, Crimes is one of the easier players to point out as she is head and shoulders above most players. However, if there's still a question as to who she is on the court, Alexis is the player wearing the No. 34 black and gold jersey with BEACH stitched across the chest. The middle blocker chose 34 because of her role model, former Laker, Shaquille O'Neal.

"Beyond his athletic ability, I love his confidence," Crimes said. "I want to emulate that. I love his charisma and I cherish that."

With her stellar play in front of The Beach crowd and the way she carries herself off the court, Crimes has given fans and fellow students plenty of reasons to appreciate her, like the way she relishes Shaq.

One of O'Neal's many interests includes martial arts. Crimes' hidden talent is Tae Kwon Do. Crimes was a Tae Kwon Do champion in the eighth grade and is often teased by her teammates who ask her to show some moves.

Like other teenagers, Crimes enjoys hanging out with her friends and going to the movies. She loves the charbroil sizzle from a hamburger. Even at a fine dining establishment, she will most likely order burgers and fries.

Crimes is an only child and attributes her athletic ability to her mother who played basketball and volleyball for Ohio State.

The 49ers' middle blocker's eyes lit up when she described her favorite moment of the season. In a game against Idaho, an opposing player pushed the ball up in the air. The ball was floating and hadn't crossed the plain of the net, but Crimes climbed through the air with the greatest of ease and slammed the ball away for a kill.

"I think it was my ability to hang in the air," she grinned.

This is why opposing parents pull their hair and yell, "Stop jumping so high!"

Coach Gimmillaro's admiration for Crimes goes beyond her athletic ability. He noted that the team heavily relies on her and is aware that it's a lot of pressure on a young player. However, the most significant complement the coach gave was when he talked about her emotional output for the team.

"Alexis' heart is good."