Muhammad Allie

By Michael Ashcraft --

Freon runs through her veins. Never nervous, she coolly delivers.

Allie Scribner -- prodigy for the Lighthouse Christian Academy's undefeated volleyball team -- stands on the brink of history. Playoffs start Thursday, and in a move that only makes sense by alchemy, CIF promoted the Saints to Division 4 playoffs. LCA plays in Div. 8. That's a mind-boggling jump of four full divisions.

That means Lighthouse has breached the top 100 schools in California for girls volleyball.

In 2024, LCA scaled to the heights and found itself on El Capitan peering over the precipice into greatness via the abyss of great challenge.

What accounts for lowly Lighthouse's meteoric rise? LCA couldn't contract SpaceX; instead they got Allie. And if LCA is to proceed through playoffs, they're going to lean heavily on the mastermind.

Allie punishes adversaries -- whether by her serves, her hits, her digs, her impossible saves or her pinpoint sets. Seeing how she pounds opponents, someone offhandedly nicknamed her Muhammad Allie.

"She's for sure a utility player," remarked sophomore Shayla Papik. "Ask her to play libero, she's diving all over the floor; ask her to be a hitter, she's wrecking the other side with dominate kills and strategic placement; ask her to be a setter, she's able to change each set for each player."

All the while, she smiles.

She encourages her fellow players -- on and off the court.

After a rough game in which freshman Lucy Young was being targeted on serves as not the strongest digger, Allie naturally brought reassurance.

"During the actual games, when we come in for the huddle and pep talk, Allie is always making the good out of the play and smiles and gets us back in the game," Lucy confides. "Privately, over one weekend, she picked me up and we went to the high school to practice my passing and setting for two hours. Allie is very eager to push us to the best of our ability and always has abundant patience with us."

When the crashed out of quarter finals last year, Allie uplifted spirits and got the sobbing to subside. "It was a great season and we really fought hard," she cheered up her team. "God was with us the whole time."

When she (frustratingly) failed to grow the inches she wanted for college volleyball, she never lost her zen. She's a stoic pequeña filósofa. Her school friends have all climbed the mountain to consult the guru.

"She always has a calm composure, but inside of her she has a fiery beast," freshman Jillian Jenkins observes. "She is an all-round player, and so responsible on the court, never gives up. She has taught me so much this season, my hitting passing has gotten so much better because of her. She is not only a leader but also an amazing friend. She is so much fun, funny and loving. I admire and respect her so much. She is kind of like my volleyball superhero."

Allie has been recruited to William Paterson University volleyball. Do they know all they are getting?

She's the popular kid on campus who is, not typical for most high schools, the friend of everyone. She knows that giving of herself to others will boost those who are struggling.

She's the giggly, best-behaved student who jokes self-deprecatingly, daughter to Pastor Josh Scribner of the Lighthouse Church in Santa Monica. Her humility draws people to her. She points them to Jesus.

"She is such a caring and genuine person to me. She is always smiling and happy every day," says sophomore Karine Keyser. "When she says good morning to me, she spreads some of her joy to me. Overall, The way she treats me and others shows me how much she cherishes her friends and God."

There are kids in the school who come from broken homes, who have dabbled with drugs, who don't feel loved. Allie loves them.

"She brings so much joy to my life," says her sidekick Dahlia Gonzalez. "If you were to ask me to look back and say my favorite memories of high school, she would be in every single one of them. She’s always there for me as a listening ear or to give me advice. Just thinking of not playing with her anymore makes me want to cry but I know God has great plans for her and she’s going to be successful in whatever she’s does."

On Thursday at 6:00 p.m., the Saints take on Campbell Hall in Studio City.

"Allie's future I'm sure is full of great big things," Shayla says. "I can't wait to tell others, "I know Allie Scribner."

Correction: A previous version of this article reported erroneously that Lighthouse got into Div. 3 playoffs.

Read more about LCA volleyball: the Jill Chills (Game 1). Sharp shooter Shayla (Game 2), No return policy (Game 3) , Abigail is Elsa (Game 4), God Balls (Game 5), Little girl beat up big boy (Game 6), Craziah for Keziah (Game 7) Flower power (Game 8), Xie xie Shay (Game 9), One in a Jillian (Game 10), Napoleon's Cannoneers(Game 11), Ethiopian Queen (Game 12), Make them pay, Shay (Game 13), Champions (Game 14).

About this reporter: Mike Ashcraft teaches writing, reporting and journalism at the Lighthouse Christian Academy of Santa Monica.