Frisoli’s wild ride
Kendall Frisoli Some people can’t handle Las Vegas.
Kendall Frisoli is the Road Warrior of Sin City.
A junior point guard for the Thousand Oaks High girls’ basketball team, Frisoli traveled to Las Vegas for a club volleyball tournament and then back to the Conejo Valley for a hoops playoff game last weekend.
Then, she drove back to Vegas for the remainder of the volleyball tourney before returning home, all within a span of 96 hours.
Frisoli didn’t have time to party with Mikey and Double Down Trent at the Bamboo Lounge.
“I knew it was going to be a lot,” Frisoli said on Tuesday, still catching her breath from the whirlwind weekend. “I knew it would be a really fun time and a unique experience.”
Here’s how the Lancer’s weekend went:
Friday, Feb. 17
Frisoli and her Sports Shack Volleyball Club teammates leave Los Angeles at 9 a.m. on a charter bus to Las Vegas.
UP-TEMPO STYLE—Thousand Oaks High junior Kendall Frisoli knifes to the basket during the Lancers’ first-round playoff game.
RICHARD GILLARD/Acorn Newspapers Frisoli arrives in Sin City around 3 p.m.
The girls spend the rest of the night settling into their hotel rooms and participating in team bonding activities.
Saturday, Feb. 18
Sports Shack plays its first of three matches of the 26th annual Las Vegas Classic at 9 a.m. at the convention center near the Strip.
A standout outside hitter, Frisoli, 16, helps her squad take second place in pool play in front of college coaches and scouts.
After the last match ends at 3 p.m. Saturday, Frisoli and teammates Chyna and Chyanne Perkins get a ride to McCarran International Airport from Jen Theiler, the mother of fellow teammate Danae Theiler.
Danae Theiler also plays volleyball at TOHS. The Perkins twins’ father is former Los Angeles Lakers forward Sam Perkins.
Frisoli rushes to the airport in order to suit up for Thousand Oaks’ CIF-Southern Section Division 2AA home playoff opener against West Covina at 7 p.m.
There’s a glitch, however.
Frisoli’s 4:15 p.m. flight to Burbank Airport is delayed.
With help from family friend Craig Lietch, who gave Frisoli the plane ticket, Frisoli finds a seat on the very next flight out of town at 4:30.
Frisoli arrives at Burbank at 5:30 p.m. Her father, Mike, is ready to drive her to the big playoff game.
The junior eats and changes in the car on the way to the Lancer gym. She arrives at 6:20 p.m., right before warm-ups.
“It worked out perfectly,” Frisoli said. “I was feeling pretty drained but I kept thinking, ‘Oh, my gosh, I have two more days of this.’”
Despite trailing at halftime, the Lancers defeat West Covina, 53-34. Frisoli, who averaged 14.6 points, 3.5 assists and 2.1 steals through her first 22 games, plays well off the bench.
“I had energy,” Frisoli said.
The game ends at 9 p.m. After stopping at home to get pajamas, a pillow, snacks and her iPod, Frisoli hits the road a half-hour later.
Sunday, Feb. 19
Frisoli drifts in and out of sleep while her dad drives back to Las Vegas.
They arrive at the hotel at 1:30 a.m. Sunday.
Frisoli wakes up at 6:30 a.m. for a team breakfast, then joins her volleyball teammates in the cozy “caravan” for a ride to the convention center.
Although Sports Shack dropped all three matches this day, the squad played well in spurts, Frisoli said.
Monday, Feb. 20
Sports Shack bounces back with a strong performance, winning all three of its matches in a single-elimination bracket.
At 3:30 p.m. Monday, Frisoli, her dad and mom, Susan, leave Sin City in the dust.
They arrive home at 9:30 p.m. Frisoli still has to finish some chemistry homework and study for a math quiz before getting some much-needed sleep.
“I’m hoarse from yelling,” Frisoli said Tuesday afternoon after basketball practice.
“In volleyball, you cheer after every point. Three days of that, your voice, it’s gone.”
Family, friends, teammates and coaches helped Frisoli along the way.
“It’s awesome she did that,” said TOHS sophomore forward Raquel “Rocky” Sheppard. “It’s crazy.”
Mike Frisoli said he was happy his daughter got a chance to impress college volleyball scouts and help the Lancers win the postseason opener.
“It was exhausting for her, but it was also very exhilarating and exciting at the same time,” Mike Frisoli said. “She handled it well. All that travel, it’s stressful. She kept her spirits high.
“ She’s a humble kid. She doesn’t like the spotlight. She’s a team player first.”



