Vanguard University

The athlete:  Michelle begins collegiate basketball with the Lions after a three-year varsity career for Fountain Valley High School…graduated in 2002…played for Coach Carol Strausburg in the Sunset League…was a two-time Most Improved Player for FVHS…high school team captain…has played basketball for nine years…spent one season with the FV Tiger club team…will see time as a guard or small forward as a freshman for Vanguard…has made improvements in the pre-season…will add depth to the roster and push some of the veteran players…will need to adjust to the new collegiate competition.

The person:   Michelle was born in Huntington Beach, California on March 18, 1984…parents are Mike and Diane Griffo…has one younger sister…teammates just call her “Griffo”…is undecided on a major at this time…likes to eat lasagna and watch “Friends” on TV…roots for Kobe Bryant and the LA Lakers…favorite movie is “Dumb and Dumber”…enjoys going to the beach and shopping…loves the color green and the number 10…would like to meet her sports hero Kobe Bryant…believes the world’s biggest problem is that there are too many bad attitudes…likes the passion for basketball she finds on the VU team…has learned from life that if you put God first, everything else will fall into place…athletics has taught her that hard work and discipline are the only ways to succeed.

Her thoughts:  I came to Vanguard because I wanted to go to a small private school and play basketball.  I like that everyone is open and outgoing, and that the teachers care about the students. It has a comfortable atmosphere.