St. Mary’s star heading to SoCal

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This article was published 14/12/2011 (5351 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

She played a key role in making the St. Mary’s Academy Flames the best girls volleyball team in the province, and now Alicia Ogoms is set to join the top-ranked college team in the U.S.

Ogoms, a 6-foot-5 middle from Rivergrove, has signed a letter of intent to play for the University of Southern California Trojans.

“I’m really excited to be a part of it,” she said of USC’s program. “It’s a winning program, and I like the academic program there too. I put a lot of thought into the coaching staff, and wanted to go to a school where I felt comfortable.”

Ogoms, who was featured in the “Faces in the Crowd” section of this week’s edition of Sports Illustrated, couldn’t have asked for a better ending to her high school volleyball career.

After a disappointing loss in last year’s provincial semifinal (after coming in as the top seed) the Flames rebounded to win the school’s first-ever AAAA volleyball championship.

“We had an extremely well-rounded team,” said coach Christine Rewniak. “We were able to attack from all positions, passed very well, had strong serving, and the girls in general worked extremely hard.”

As soon as the Flames won their first tournament of the season, the Top 8 Debate in Brandon, Ogoms figured the squad had what it took to win the provincials.

“We had a few little ups and downs,” she said. “I thought we were more of a team as the year went on.”

Rewniak said the experience of last year’s disappointing loss was valuable for her team, which included six returning players. The pressure of playing in a televised match in a packed university gym was no longer a foreign experience for the Flames.

“It was a matter of knowing what to expect,” Rewniak said. “It’s kind of an overwhelming time as far as playing in front of large crowds and under pressure.”

The entire school got behind the Flames, with students and staff attending the final and offering their support in the hallways.

“It was really cool how a lot of teachers came out and watched,” Ogoms said. “We had a couple parents and a few other fans (for most games) but never had the whole school come out before.”

Rewniak said the first thing any scout or coach would notice about Ogoms — whose father, Joe, is in the Manitoba Basketball Hall of Fame — is her height.

“Being 6-foot-5 makes her a standout from the beginning,” said Rewniak, who coached Ogoms for four years at St. Mary’s. “But she brings a lot more than just her stature to the team. I’ve seen her mature into a player with confidence and leadership ability.”

Ogoms is hoping to block her way into the Trojans’ starting lineup as a freshman next fall, but understands that her performance in practice will determine how much playing time she receives.

“It’s going to be good. I’ve had enough snow in my life,” she said, before quickly emphasizing that she loves Winnipeg. “It’ll be a nice change of scenery.”

avi.saper@canstarnews.com