January 19, 2012

Tiffany Spencer is captain of the Buckingham County girls' basketball team and ranked fourth in her senior class. Tiffany will graduate this June with both a high school diploma and associate's degree as she also attends Governor's School.

Athletically, Tiffany is a two-year starter for the Knights and what head coach Ethan Abruzzo calls a defensive guru.

"How our defense goes is how Tiffany goes," said Abruzzo. "If Tiffany's playing really tight, the team gets behind her and we seem to play a lot better."

"Always get the ball back, get the ball back always," is the mentality for Tiffany. "Because if they don't score, they don't win."

The senior is one that leads by example but also has a way of picking her teammates up with words. A characteristic the Knights will miss next winter.

"Its all team for me," said Tiffany. "Whatever my team needs for me it's what I do."

"We had a five game losing streak early on," added Abruzzo. "She was the one saying 'we got this one we got this one.' The girls feed off of her and it makes us a better team."

In the spring Tiffany competes in track and field and has advanced to states the last two season with the 4x100 relay team. JV basketball coach and girls' track coach Linda Amos says her sprinting has contributed to her success in the gym.

"The quickness in track helps her in basketball on the court," said Amos who expects Tiffany to take the team back to states this spring. "A lot of box-and-ones, she's always the one guarding someone. She's quick hands, quick feet, and it works."

Tiffany hopes to attend college and major in music education.