Daily Pilot Athlete of the Week, Dimitra Havriluk: Executive

decisions

Barry Faulkner

Eight seasons of club volleyball, as well as three on the Corona

del Mar High girls varsity, have prepared Dimitra Havriluk for the

corporate rat race.

A driven and vocal leader who finds comfort in crunch time, the 6-foot

senior outside hitter even sums up aspects of her on-court personality

with catch phrases frequently aimed at the executive washroom.

“I’m definitely a control freak in every way,” said the Daily Pilot

Athlete of the Week, who more times than not, controls the Sea Kings’

repeated acquisition of victory.

“I love being someone the team looks up to and depends upon,” she said.

“‘I want to be the one my teammates can depend on in a tight situation. I

want them to believe in me, to believe I can do it. I’m really big on

respect.”

Havriluk has gained such esteem from her teammates, as well as a growing

collection of opponents. Last week, she helped Coach Steve Conti’s squad

defeat Pacific Coast League foes Costa Mesa and Laguna Beach, the latter

all but ending the Artists’ decade-plus stranglehold on the league

championship and securing the title for CdM.

After pounding 14 kills in a three-game sweep of Mesa, Havriluk collected

30 kills and 21 digs in the five-game triumph over Laguna Beach.

She then amassed a match-high 32 kills in a five-game loss to Back Bay

rival Newport Harbor, the first time since 1993 the Sea Kings pushed the

Sailors beyond four games.

“She has stepped up in big matches for us,” said Conti, who believes

Havriluk’s leadership transcends pep talks and posturing.

“She’s by far the most vocal player on our team, but she leads by working

hard, being focused and hustling. That’s what you need from your

leaders.”

Havriluk, a first-team All-CIF Southern Section Division III selection as

a junior, needed some time to adjust to the outside hitter position this

fall, after playing middle blocker for the sixth season with the Newport

Beach-based Orange County Volleyball Club.

“Last year, I played outside hitter for club, before the high school

season. But this year, I played middle in club, so (returning to her

outside hitter spot with the Sea Kings) was an adjustment,” Havriluk

said.

Conti said the subtle diversity between the two positions, often makes

the transition difficult.

“It’s taken awhile for (Havriluk) to get into a groove,” Conti said. “She

got off to a bit of a slow start and she was frustrated because she

wasn’t at the level she was playing at the end of last high school

season.”

Increased passing responsibilities, as well as a greater reliance on

timing the various sets delivered outside, all required patience, a trait

which can, at times, meet a big block from Havriluk’s high energy.

Moderation, a behavior submerged occasionally beneath her dynamic

approach, was also necessary, Conti said, for Havriluk to master the

variety of shots outside hitters deploy to keep defenses off balance.

“She’s very powerful and she likes to go up and take a big swing,” Conti

said. “She hits the ball very hard and that’s a nice weapon to have. But

I’ve asked her to work on some complementary shots to make her a little

more versatile. She hits the ball so hard, the defense is usually dug

down deep, so her off-speed shots are that much more effective.”

Havriluk again reverted to CEO-speak to describe her penchant for

high-speed spikes.

“I take pride in hitting the ball hard,” she said. “There’s nothing like

the feeling of a hard-driven kill. It’s exhilarating. But I have to be

smarter and not be on such a power trip. I’ve tried to become smarter

with my shots.”

Regardless of the velocity she uses to record a kill, Havriluk covets the

pressure of delivering in hard-fought, heated competition.

“The big matches are the ones I play volleyball for,” said Havriluk,

whose older sisters Ali and Jordana were also standout athletes at CdM.

“The best ones are the close ones. Sometimes they’re heartbreakers, but

those are the ones you thrive off of.”