MaxPreps 2014 Medium Schools All-American Girls Volleyball Team
The only thing Katherine Carlson didn't get this season was a Michigan high school volleyball championship. But the Notre Dame Prep (Pontiac, Mich.) senior got just about everything else, including MaxPreps 2014 Medium Schools National Volleyball Player of the Year honors.
Courtesy photo
Katherine Carlson, Notre Dame Prep
In leading the Fighting Irish to the Class B semifinals and a 57-6 record, Carlson put her name in the National Federation of State High School Associations by becoming the first player to record more than 1,000 kills in two separate seasons. She recorded 1,042 this season and 1,001 in 2013 when Notre Dame Prep was 62-2-1 and captured the B state title.
Those two single-season marks put her Nos. 2 and 4 for single-season totals, according to the NFHS. Her 1,042 fell short of Jenna Lange's all-time single-season record of 1,063.
Carlson, who was named Michigan's Miss Volleyball, finished her career with 3,216 kills, which ranks No. 2 on the all-time career list behind Alisha Glass (Leland, Mich.). Carlson and Glass, who recorded 3,584 in her career, are the only two preps with more than 3,000 career kills.
Carlson was also chosen by MLive as its Player of the Year, as well as Michigan's Gatorade's POY. Needless to say, the hardware added up with numerous all-state, all-area and all-conference honors.
When pressed to pinpoint Carlson's strength on the court, coach Betty Woubel said she could name many, but "What's so amazing is Katherine doesn't make errors."
Courtesy photo
Katherine Carlson, Notre Dame Prep
"Katherine just does not give points to the other teams," said Woubel. "She can find ways to score on any team. There are a lot of great hitters, but they also have a ton of errors. Katherine's court vision is exceptional, as is her volleyball IQ."
Woubel called Carlson a program changer, the type of athlete who can change the fortunes of a team for years to come.
"She is a great teammate and such a hard-working player," said Woubel. "As talented as she is, she is always looking for a way to improve her game."
That certainly bodes well for Valparaiso University in Indiana, where Carlson will attend next fall.
Woubel said there is no replacing a player of Carlson's caliber.
"Her ability to lead, outstanding skill and knowledge of the game is hard to replace," said Woubel. "She is one of those players that I and we are so blessed and thankful to have had in our program."
Coach of the Year - Chris Leverenz, Auburn Riverside (Auburn, Wash.)
Leverenz guided Riverside to a 36-0 record and the Washington 3A state title.
Leverenz started the Riverside program in 1995 and has enjoyed 11 seasons with 20 or more victories. She was inducted into the Washington State Volleyball Coaches Association Hall of Fame in 2013.
Team of the Year - Helias (Jefferson City, Mo.), 43-0-1
The state 3A champion lost just four sets all year. Following a 1-1 tournament draw with Webster Groves (Mo.) on Oct. 11, the Crusaders won their final 14 matches and lost two sets. In their 44 matches, the Crusaders blanked 39 opponents.
The Crusaders were led by seniors Erica Haslag (3.4 kills per set, 103 blocks), Lindsey Griggs (3.1 digs and 2.6 kills) and and juniors Ashley Dudenhoeffer (10.5 assists per set) and Blake Berhorst (4.2 digs, 338 serve receptions and only 10 errors).
2014 MaxPreps Medium Schools Volleyball All-American Team
First Team
OH - Molly Haggerty, St. Francis (Wheaton, Ill.), 6-2 Jr
Haggerty led the Spartans to a 38-4 record and the Class 3A state title and slammed 381 kills with 152 digs, 53 blocks and 20 service aces while posting a .540 kill percentage. The 2014 News-Gazette All-State Volleyball Player of the Year, Haggerty was also the Illinois Gatorade winner.
Photo by Del Mecum
Jac'cara Walker, P.K. Yonge
OH - Carlyle Nusbaum, Aquinas (Overland Park, Kan.), 5-9 Sr
Nusbaum led the Saints to a 42-4 record and the Class 5A state title as she recorded 390 kills, 262 digs, 59 blocks and 27 service aces while posting a kill percentage of .474. She was named the 2014 Class 5A Player of the Year by the Kansas Volleyball Association as well as being honored by Gatorade as the POY. She has committed to Lipscomb.
OH - Jac'cara Walker, P.K. Yonge (Gainesville, Fla.), 5-10 Jr
Walker guided the youthful PKY squad to the 4A state title and a 30-2 record. She totaled 364 kills (4.2 with a 52 percent kill ratio), served at 93 percent, had 272 digs (3.2) and 145 service points. She was named Florida's 4A Player of the Year. She has committed to Mississippi State.
OH - M.E. Dodge, East Troy (Wis.), 5-10 Jr
There was no perfect season for East Troy this year, but Dodge escalated her game to include 673 kills (6.5 average), 52 aces, 55 blocks, 434 digs (4.2) and 769 serve receptions. She was first team all-state. She has committed to Wisconsin.
OH - Megan Wickey, Concordia (Omaha, Neb.), 6-3 Sr
Wickey slammed 455 kills while recording a .520 kill percentage and .460 hitting percentage in leading the Mustangs (34-2) to the C-1 state quarterfinals. Named the honorary captain of the Lincoln Journal Star's Super-State squad, Wickey also tallied 269 digs, 38 service aces and 34 blocks. The Nebraska Gatorade POY has signed with Ohio State.
MB - Taylor Mims, Billings Senior (Mont.), 6-3 Sr
Mims led the Broncs to a 38-1-1 record and their third-straight AA state title when she recorded 493 kills, 281 digs, 177 blocks and 61 service aces while posting a kill percentage of .481. A 2014-15 American Volleyball Coaches Association Under Armour Second Team All-America selection, she was Montana's Gatorade winner. She has signed with Washington State.
MB - Katharine Franz, Charlotte Country Day (N.C.), 6-0 Sr
Franz led the Buccaneers to a 44-1 record and their second-straight N.C. Independent Schools Athletic Association 3A state title. Franz, named the Charlotte Observer's POY, had 412 kills, 295 digs, 65 service aces and 47 blocks while posting a kill percentage of .537. A 2014-15 American Volleyball Coaches Association Honorable Mention Under Armour All-America selection, Franz will play at Davidson.
MB - Tionna Williams, Fort Wayne Concordia Lutheran (Ind.), 6-2 Sr
Williams used her all-around ability to lead Concordia to its first Indiana 3A title. A Wisconsin signee, Williams amassed 537 kills, 294 digs, 109 blocks and 66 aces for the 32-6 Cadets. She was named first team all-state, the Indiana Class 3A Mental Award Winner and — for the second-straight year — and the Fort Wayne-area Player of the Year.
MB - Ali Bastianelli, Marysville (Mich.), 6-3 Sr
Photo by Sam Soliday
Audriana Fitzmorris, St. James Academy
Bastianelli led the Vikings to a 37-7 season behind a monster season: 492 kills (5.2 average), 65 aces, 139 blocks (1.5 average) and 157 digs. She was a Miss Michigan finalist and an Under Armour A-A. She is headed to Illinois.
MB - Ronika Stone, Valley Christian (San Jose, Calif.), 6-3 Jr
Stone put up big numbers against some of the west's top teams in leading VCHS to a 26-13 record. She posted 575 kills (5.0 average), served 94 percent (47 aces), blocked 68 shots, averaged 2.4 digs and returned 269 serves.
MH - Audriana Fitzmorris, St. James Academy (Lenexa, Kan.), 6-5 Jr
St. James had its streak of state titles snapped at six, but Fitzmorris had a monster year with 667 kills (6.5 average), 111 blocks and 217 digs as the Thunder got the runner-up trophy and finished 40-7. Fitzmorris also played on the U.S. Junior National team last summer.
S - Carson Heilborn, Auburn Riverside (Wash.), 6-0 Sr
Heilborn led the Ravens to a 36-0 record and the Class 3A state title this past season. She tallied 843 assists, 177 kills, 105 digs, 54 blocks and 47 service aces while posting a .436 hitting percentage. Washington's Gatorade winner has signed with New Mexico.
S - Mackenzie Albrecht, Sonoma Valley (Calif.), 6-0 Sr
Albrecht was all over the court with 1,097 assists (11.8), 300 digs (3.2), 29 blocks, 65 aces and 81 kills as the Dragons went 29-4 and reached the state 3A quarterfinals. She has signed with California.
S - Stormi Leonard, Decatur (Texas), 5-7 Sr
The Texas Small School POY led Decatur to state 4A title as she dished out 1,433 assists (10 per set), served 95.5 percent, had 455 digs (3.2), and found time to block 30 shots and record 90 kills.
A-A - Jenna Gray, St. James Academy (Lenexa, Kan.), 5-11 Jr
Gray was all over the court as the Thunder went 40-7 and earned silver at state. Her numbers: 769 assists (7.3), 274 digs (2.6), 361 kills (3.6), 37 aces, 51 blocks and only seven reception errors.
A-A - Heidi Dyer, Saddleback Valley Christian (San Juan Capistrano, Calif.), 6-2 Sr
Named the CIF-SS 3A POY, Dyer led the Warriors to the state title game and a 33-6 record.. She averaged 3.1 kills and 2.9 digs per set. She also blocked 69 shots, served 50 aces (94.2 percent) and returned 286 serves with only five errors. She has signed with Pepperdine.
Second Team
Photo by Del Mecum
Denvyr Tyler-Palmer, Bishop Kenny
OH - Denvyr Tyler-Palmer, Bishop Kenny (Jacksonville, Fla.), 6-0 Sr
The top player on the nation's No. 6-ranked team and Florida's 5A champion, Tyler-Palmer averaged 2.7 digs and 4.7 kills (441), recorded 46 blocks and served 50 aces and had 454 serve receptions with 28 errors.
OH - Payton Rund, West Albany (Ore.), 6-1 Sr
Rund recorded 433 kills, 279 digs, 59 blocks and 38 service aces in leading the Bulldogs (23-6) to a third-place finish in the Class 6A state tournament. She has signed with St. Mary's.
OH - Meredith Norris, Corunna (Mich.), 6-2 So
Photo by Dennis Lee
Kelley Wirth, Campolindo
Norris turned in a sophomore season that saw her post 754 kills along with 571 digs, 77 blocks and 97 aces in leading the Cavaliers deep into the playoffs. She set a state record with 53 kills in one match this season and has more than 1,500 kills in just two seasons.
OH - Macy Flowers, Chanute (Kan.), 6-3 Sr
Flowers, the state's 4A, D-1 POY, was an honorable mention Under Armour All-American. She had 509 kills (5.7), 73 blocks, 79 aces and 219 digs this season as Chanute won 36 matches. She has signed with Kansas State.
OH - Kelley Wirth, Campolindo (Moraga, Calif.), 6-0 Sr
Wirth, a two-time Diablo Foothill Athletic League MVP, had 648 kills, 37 blocks and 146 digs as the Cougars were 29-9. She will attend Yale.
OH - Jordan Young, Bethlehem Catholic (Pa.), 6-0 Jr
Young registered 308 kills as the Golden Hawks made program history with their first PIAA Class AA championship. She picked up a long list of accolades along the way, including being a Class AA all-state first team choice as well as being named Lehighvalleylive Girls Volleyball Player of the Year.
MH - Taelor Kellum, Signal Mountain (Tenn.), 6-2 Sr
Kellum led SMHS to the state finals and had 802 kills, 124 blocks, 505 digs and 79 aces. She has signed with Florida.
MB - Ashleigh McFatridge, North Lamar (Paris, Texas), 6-2 Sr
The stat that pops out is 345 blocks (3.0 per set). Add to that 411 kills (3.6) and 51 aces and it's easy to see why North Lamar won 35 matches. She had 816 blocks in three varsity seasons.
OH - Laura Willson, North Branch (Mich.), 6-1 Sr
Wilson led North Branch to a 61-7-4 season and the Class B state title. In 156 sets, Wilson totaled 772 kills (4.9), 95 blocks, 98 aces and 295 digs.
S - Taylor Hughes, Bloom-Carroll (Carroll, Ohio), 6-0 Sr
Photo by Gregg Samelson
Alexis Dirige, Sacred Heart Cathedral
Hughes, a three-time All-Ohio selection, did it all for the Bulldogs, leading them in kills (360, 4.5), serving (110 aces), blocks (108), assists (398, 5.0), 232 digs and committed just three service errors. She has signed with Ohio State.
S - Macy Franson, Clay Center (Kan.), 5-9 Sr
Named Kansas 4A, D-2 Player of the Year, Franson led Clay Center to the state title. She had a serving percentage of 93.2 percent with 48 aces, 1,048 assists (10.69) with a 99 percent setting rate. She added 96 blocks and 149 digs (1.5).
L - Alexis Dirige, Sacred Heart Cathedral (San Francisco), 5-2 Jr
Dirige plays much bigger than 5-foot-2 and recorded 612 digs (6.0), served 95.1 percent (33 aces) and returned 572 serves as Sacred Heart won the state Division III title and finished 37-3.
A-A - Meghan Donovan, Villa Duchesne (St. Louis), 6-2 Jr
Donovan averaged 11.37 assists and 2.51 kills with a 48 percent kill rate. With Donovan, a Georgia commit, running the offense, the Saints posted a 31-10-2 record and finished second in Class 3A. She was an all-Metro St. Louis first team pick.
A-A - Halland McKenna, Sage Hill (Newport Beach, Calif.), 5-7 Sr
McKenna finished her sparkling four-year career with a program-record 1,552 kills and guided the Lightning to a 23-4 season and the state quarterfinals. The CIF-SS 3AA POY, McKenna is headed to Stanford.
A-A - Lacy Haddock, Timpview (Provo, Utah), 5-8 Sr
Named Utah's 4A POY, Haddock averaged 7.2 kills and 7.83 digs per set. She also served 30 aces and passed at a 2.09 rate. For two years she has led the Thunderbirds to a state title, helping her team beat the 5A and 3A champions each season. She has signed with BYU.
Third Team
MB - Shelby Conley, Johnson Central (Paintsville, Ky.), 5-11 Sr
Conley was named 15 Region Player of the Year and also earned first team All-Kentucky honors in 2012, 2013 and 2014. Conley was awarded AVCA Under Armour All-American Honorable Mention honors after her senior season. The outside hitter tallied 688 kills with a .484 hitting percentage and 165 total blocks. She will attend Marshall.
MH - Caroline Marsh, North Henderson (Hendersonville, N.C.), 5-10 So
Marsh averaged 6.7 kills, 1.5 blocks and 2.3 digs per set while serving 41 aces and returning 325 serves with just 31 errors as the Knights went 16-8. The all-state player was named the Times-News POY.
MB - Meg Morningstar, North Allegheny (Wexford, Pa.), 6-2 Sr
Photo by Todd Kalif
Casey Hunt, Granby Memorial
She recorded 293 kills and 117 blocks this past season, leading the Tigers to the Class AAA quarterfinals. A two-time all-state selection, she also posted a hitting percentage of .444 and earned first team All-WPIAL honors for three years. She has signed with Notre Dame and was the state Gatorade POY winner.
MH - Rachel Anderson, Sturgis (Mich.), 6-2 Sr
The big hitter led Sturgis to a 50-win season with 675 kills (4.9, 56 percent) and 150 blocks. She will attend Western Kentucky.
OH - Casey Hunt, Granby Memorial (Conn.), Sr
Hunt led Granby to a 26-0 record and the M state title as she averaged 2.7 kills and served 92 percent with 58 aces. She also had just 11 service errors with 219 receptions.
OH - Stephanie Williams, Notre Dame-Cathedral Latin (Chardon, Ohio), 6-0 Sr
Williams was voted first team all-Ohio, North Coast League Player of the Year, District Player of the Year and Notre Dame-Cathedral Latin School MVP as a senior. She led Latin to the 2A state title when she recorded 458 kills, 431 digs, 70 blocks and 42 aces. She has signed with Pittsburgh.
OH - Julia Saunders, Nazareth Academy (LaGrange Park, Ill.), 6-3 Sr
Saunders guided Nazareth Academy to three regional titles. She averaged 4.1 kills, 2.1 digs and 0.6 blocks per set as a senior. She was a third-team AVCA All-American selection. She has signed with Wisconsin.
OH/MB - Tricia Brown, Big Bear (Big Bear City, Calif.), 6-0 Sr
Brown put up big numbers – 6.3 kills (543) and 2.1 blocks (183) – as Big Bear made the playoffs and went 21-8. She also was a 96.5 percent server with 53 aces and returned 402 serves with only 20 errors.
OH - Kayla Ellis, Century (Pocatello, Idaho), 5-8 Sr
Despite nursing a back injury, Ellis led Century to a 37-6 record and a fifth-straight Class 4A state title — all of which have been anchored by a player named Ellis. On the season, she slammed 381 kills while recording a .363 hitting percentage. She also collected 398 digs, 342 service receptions, 71 service aces, 28 blocks and 28 digs.
OH - Liz Twilley, Oakdale (Ijamsville, Md.), 6-2 Sr
Photo by William Pine
Jessica Dillon, Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake
Maryland's Gatorade winner, Twilley led the Bears to an 18-2 record and the Class 2A state championship. Twilley slammed 359 kills while recording a .502 kill percentage and .381 hitting percentage. The two-time Frederick County Player of the Year also amassed 215 digs, 198 service receptions, 56 blocks and 29 service aces. She has signed with Maryland.
S - Jessica Dillon, Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake (Burnt Hills, N.Y.), 5-9 Sr
This season, she averaged 9.6 assists, 2.57 kills and 1.7 digs per set and was named the Suburban Council's Most Valuable Player. Dillon became the first Spartan to reach 2,000 assists and 600 kills in the program's history. An all-state first team player, Dillon earned Under Armour All-America honorable mention honors.
S - Corinne Cox, Notre Dame Academy (Hingham, Mass.), 6-1 Jr
Cox recorded 718 assists, 68 kills, 55 blocks, 51 service aces and 33 digs this past season, leading the Cougars (21-1) to the D-2 state semifinals. Cox is a two-time Division 2 first team all-state honoree and helped Notre Dame to the 2012 D2 state title. She concluded her junior year with 1,518 assists in her prep volleyball career. She was named the state's Gatorade POY.
S - Rachel Janson, Charlotte Country Day (N.C.), 5-6 Sr
Janson, an all-state setter, quarterbacked the Buccaneers to a 44-1 season and high national ranking by averaging 10.9 assists per set (1,277). She also recorded 41 aces and had 290 digs.
S - Emily Rahe, Bishop Hartley (Columbus, Ohio), 5-7 Sr
The 2014 Central Ohio Volleyball Athlete of the Year recorded 12.3 assists and 4.3 digs per set as the Hawks reached the state finals. She served at a 97.9 rate. Rahe recorded 3,195 career assists, which is second-most in Ohio high school history. She has signed with Mount Vernon Nazarene.
L - Bailey Henington, Sonora (Calif.), 5-4 Sr
Henington recorded 517 digs (5.0), 96 assists and 40 aces on 338 attempts in leading a balanced Sonora team to California's D-IV state title and a 37-5 season.
A-A - Paige McKnight, Dunwoody (Ga.), 5-9 Sr
Named Georgia's 5A POY and Gatorade winner, McKnight slammed 475 kills while recording a .485 kill percentage and .344 hitting percentage, leading the Wildcats (43-5) to the Class AAAAA state semifinals. McKnight amassed 301 assists, 251 digs, 245 service receptions, 107 service aces and 43 blocks. She has signed with Georgetown.
A-A - Ohiyah Shirley, Monument Valley (Kayenta, Ariz.), 5-10 Sr
Shirley was named Arizona's small school POY after she tallied 329 kills, 286 digs and 85 blocks in leading Monument Valley to the state 3A title. She has signed with Northern Arizona.
