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All-American Yaasmeen Bedart-Ghani’s powerful arm has led Redondo’s girls volleyball team to a CIF championship, her third in four years.
On and off the court, diversity has played a large part of Yaasmeen Bedart-Ghani’s life.
The 6-foot-4 senior outside hitter is known for having one of the most powerful swings of any high school girls volleyball player in the nation. But this year, she has focused on becoming an all-around player. Her improvement in blocking, defense and serving led Redondo to the CIF Southern Section Division 1AA championship, the Southern California Division 1 Regional title and an appearance in the CIF State Championship match played last Saturday.
“Yaz plays the best on the biggest stage and that’s what champions do,” Redondo head coach Tommy Chaffins said. “In the CIF finals she was phenomenal. In the Southern California Regionals she was phenomenal. She just has the will to win. I’m so glad she’s on our team. No matter what happens in the State finals, she’s going to go down as one of high school’s all-time greats. It would be just an extra feather in her cap to lead two different schools to the Division 1 State title. I’m not aware of anyone who has ever accomplished that.”
After winning two CIF titles and one State championship at Marymount High School in Los Angeles, Bedart-Gahni transferred to Redondo on a permit prior to her junior year.
“I grew up in Inglewood and have lived in a variety of neighborhoods, which has helped me become the person I am today,” Bedart-Ghani said. “Education is a very important part of our family and Redondo not only offers a great education, but we felt the size of the school would help prepare me for college.”
She also wanted to play for a winning program where her play would be noticed by college coaches.
“We knew Tommy Chaffins was a great coach who believed in his players and cared about them on a personal level. Plus, I knew some of the girls on the team, which made the transition easier.”
Two of Redondo’s other standout players are Bedart-Ghani’s teammates on the Mizuno Long Beach volleyball club.
“Yazzie, Norene (Iosia) and I have played on Mizuno together for many years and are really good friends, which has helped build our chemistry on the court,” three-year varsity starter Abril Bustamante said. “Yazzie brings a lot of components, especially blocking. Even in practice when I have to go up against her, I say ‘No, get me away from her.’ She’s such a competitor. She’s such a solid player and we’re really lucky to have her.”
The decision to transfer has paid dividends for both Bedart-Ghani and the Sea Hawks. She recently signed with the University of Texas and was selected by the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) to the Under Armour Girls High School All-American first team.
As a first-team player, Bedart-Ghani has been invited to play in the Under Armour All-America Volleyball Match & Skills Competition at Chesapeake Energy Arena in Oklahoma City on Friday, December 10.
“Being an All American is such an honor and I look forward to playing with my future teammates,” Bedart-Ghani said. “It’s crazy to think I’m a part of such an elite group. It’s very humbling.”
“Yaz is most deserving of being a high school all-American,” Chaffins said. “She is the second Sea Hawk (Skylar Dykstra 2012) to play in the match, and I would expect Norene Iosia to be playing in the match in 2015. Yaz is one of the hardest hitters in her class if not the hardest hitter. They have a hitting contest measured by a radar gun and I am pretty certain Yaz will be in the top three. She is an outstanding person on — and more important to me — off the court.”
Bedart-Ghani was also the fifth-ranked player on the Prep Volleyball 2015 Senior Aces list and was on the 2012 Junior National All-Tournament Team while playing for Long Beach Mizuno.
She appeared in Sports Illustrated’s November 17 “Faces in the Crowd” issue.
“That was so cool. I was so surprised,” Bedart-Ghani said. “I’ve been reading Sports Illustrated since I was really little and always looked at the ‘Faces in the Crowd’ page. I even used to cut out the faces.”
At press time, Redondo boasted a 38-2 record. Its two losses were early in the season when Bedart-Ghani and Bustamante were both nursing injuries.
Bedart-Ghani’s start to the season was delayed because of a foot injury suffered last summer prior to the Junior Olympics.
“I thought I had a kink in my foot,” Bedart-Ghani said. “I had two diagnoses. One doctor said my calf was too tight. They were also worried it might be my achilles tendon.”
Bedart-Ghani played through the Junior Olympics before x-rays showed a bone by the heel was three times too long and was fractured.
“I was in a cast for over a month.” Bedart-Ghani said. “Fortunately, I didn’t need surgery which would have kept me out six weeks. Rest seemed to work and I have no pain now.”
Bedart-Ghani said she has always been tall for her age, standing 6-foot-2 in 8th grade. Her parents, Elizabeth and Adolfo, exposed her to a variety of extra curricular activities when she was growing up.
“I played basketball, soccer, swam at the YMCA and played flag football with my older brothers,” Bedart-Ghani said. “I was even a cheerleader, took dance and ballet for five years and was involved in musical theater from 1stt through 5th grades. “Wicked” is my favorite musical.”
It appeared Yaasmeen would follow in her brother’s footsteps on the basketball court. Both were hoops start at Loyola High School. Kahliq is a junior on Yale’s basketball team and Khalil is a freshman playing at the University of San Diego.
It was after a basketball game with her brothers that Bedart-Ghani’s future changed.
“A mother of one of my teammates suggested with my height, I try volleyball,” Bedart-Ghani recalled. “So I signed up with the Sunshine Volleyball Club 12-and-under team.”
Bedart-Ghani has played the last five years with Mizuno Long Beach under the tutelage of Joy McKienzie-Fuerbringer, who won a national championship at Long Beach State in 1993.
“She has been the biggest influence on my volleyball career – both as a coach and a person,” Bedart-Ghani said. “She has stood by me and helped me improve in every aspect of the game. I’m not just a big hitter anymore.”
Bedart-Ghani said her grandmother has been the most influential person in her life.
“My dad’s mom, Frances Jefferson, worked a lot of jobs as a single mom raising two boys,” Bedart-Ghani said. “She was the first black woman to move into the suburb of Aurora, Colorado. She has inspired me to become a strong woman.”
Bedart-Ghani’s maturity, work ethic and success during club and high school volleyball season led to scholarship offers from many colleges, including UCLA, Arizona, Colorado, UC Berkeley, Alabama and Texas.
“I was approached by UCLA and Texas on the same day,” Bedart-Ghani said. “I had visited UCLA and after my last Junior Olympic game in Dallas. But when we drove to Austin I fell in love with the school. The facilities, coaches and tradition were very impressive. I also liked the diversity of the team.”
Although she enjoyed chemistry in high school, Bedart-Ghani said she would like to become a lawyer with a focus on criminal law.
“Yaazie is a big 6-4 outside hitter who has the potential to play opposite as well,” Texas head coach Jerritt Elliott stated on the team’s website. “She is arguably one of the hardest hitters in her class. She is a quality young lady that will continue to develop in our program.”
Bedart-Ghani said her favorite accomplishment was winning her third CIF title, with Redondo, this season.
“That was amazing,” Bedart-Ghani said. “Our team fought so hard. We have a great group of girls and I was so happy to experience a CIF championship with them.”
Bedart-Ghani said her most memorable moments came at the end of her freshman and sophomore seasons while playing for Marymount.
In the 2011 CIF State Championship match against Palo Alto, Marymount rallied from a two-set deficit to tie the match 2-2. The Sailors held a 13-7 lead before Palo Alto went on a run.
“I was playing the right side and we were facing match point at 16-15,” Bedart-Ghani recalled. “I hit the ball wide and remember watching them celebrate. The next year, I had the winning block against St. Francis to win the State title. I felt I had redeemed myself.”
Bedart-Ghani has set goals of playing in the Olympics and competing overseas after earning her college degree.
“I want to play volleyball as long as I can,” Bedart-Ghani said. “But I realize an injury can occur at anytime. My education will give me a Plan B.”
