Meet the 2022-23 high school All-Area volleyball team
All season long, New Smyrna Beach and Ponte Vedra sat as two of the best teams in the state. Each ranked in the top 15 regardless of classification in the final Florida High School Athletic Association poll in October.
So naturally, they met in the 6A regional semifinals. The Barracudas eked out a victory over the Sharks and, two weeks later, went on to win their first state championship in program history and the only volleyball title for the Volusia-Flagler-St. Johns region last fall.
Several other local programs — including regional semifinalist DeLand — enjoyed immense success, though. Overall, five squads claimed district crowns and eight qualified for the regional quarterfinals.
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The 12 nominees of the Volusia-Flagler-St. Johns All-Area volleyball team are up for Volleyball of the Year. The winner will be announced at the 2023 Volusia-Flagler-St. Johns High School Sports Awards in the spring. The show is produced with support from Halifax Health.
During the live show, these nominees will be honored, and the Swimmer of the Year will be selected. All official nominees can receive a free ticket. More details about the program are coming soon.
The Volusia-Flagler-St. Johns High School Sports Awards is part of the USA TODAY Network, the largest high school sports recognition program in the country.
Let’s meet the team:
Nominees
Eden Anderson, New Smyrna Beach: As a senior, Anderson racked up 225 kills, 263 digs and 215 serve receptions, helping the Barracudas to a state title.
Jalynn Brown, New Smyrna Beach: The senior led the state-winning Barracudas in kills (319) and service aces (37) and added 214 digs and 237 serve receptions.
Alyssa Kornegay, New Smyrna Beach: The junior ranked as one of the top setters in the state, finishing the championship season with 895 assists and 210 digs.
Sydney Moses, Matanzas: Moses passed for 690 assists and recorded 74 service aces and 268 digs.
Jenna Otts, Bartram Trail: Otts paced the tri-county area in kills with 428 while leading the Bears to the regional quarterfinals. She also finished with 58 service aces, 179 digs and 262 serve receptions.
Tyler Patterson, Creekside: Patterson stuffed the stat sheet as the Knights’ do-everything setter. The senior compiled 656 assists, 111 kills, 36 service aces and 239 digs.
Maddie Peterson, New Smyrna Beach: Peterson served as an integral part of the Barracudas’ state championship victory and ended the season with 267 kills, 228 digs and 393 serve receptions.
Ella Pringle, DeLand: As a sophomore team captain, Pringle had a team-high 231 kills and 343 digs while piling up 26 service aces and 385 serve receptions.
Jessica Shattles, Ponte Vedra: The senior setter was one of two captains on a team that advanced to the regional semifinals and accumulated 613 assists, 37 service aces and 144 digs.
Taylor Timko, Father Lopez: Timko, a junior, registered 370 kills, 50 service aces and 205 digs for the Green Wave.
Kaitlyn Touzet, St. Augustine: The senior picked up team highs in kills (273) and serve receptions (286) and had 45 service aces and 226 digs.
Zeta Washington, Ponte Vedra: Another senior team captain, Washington rattled off 313 kills, 54 aces and 52 blocks for the regional semifinalist Sharks.
Other Athletes of Note
DD Banton, St. Augustine: Banton dished out 440 assists and totaled 70 service aces and 309 digs.
Alison Bierwagen, DeLand: As the Bulldogs charged to the regional semifinals, the sophomore setter piled up 511 assists and 33 service aces — both team highs — and 201 digs.
Gabby Conway, Spruce Creek: Conway tallied 125 kills, a team-leading 41 service aces, 300 digs and 291 serve receptions.
Sydney Downey, Father Lopez: Downey, a senior team captain for the Green Wave, contributed 657 assists, 55 service aces and 152 digs.
Adriana Jeanpierre, Beachside: Just a freshman, Jeanpierre led the first-year program to the regional quarterfinals with 257 kills, 215 digs and 232 serve receptions.
Sydney Lewis, Bartram Trail: Lewis served in a multitude of roles for the Bears, racking up team highs in service aces (90) and assists (553) while also putting forth 80 kills, 269 digs and 259 serve receptions.
Mollie Martin, Seabreeze: Martin paced the Sandcrabs, who advanced to the regional quarterfinals, in kills (236) and service aces (41). The junior also added 225 digs and 267 serve receptions.
Skylar Martin, Seabreeze: The senior captain chipped in 221 kills, 252 digs and 181 serve receptions as the Sandcrabs went to the regional quarterfinals.
Chelsea Sutton, Ponte Vedra: Dominant in the middle, the junior had 146 kills and 60 blocks for the regional semifinalist Sharks.
Senna Thayer, Matanzas: Thayer closed her junior season with a team-best 210 kills along with 173 digs and 313 serve receptions.
Viviana Vasquez, Creekside: The senior libero for the Knights, who went to the regional quarterfinals, tallied 425 digs and 344 serve receptions.
Ivy Westfall, New Smyrna Beach: The junior libero recorded 381 digs and 408 serve receptions for the state-winning Barracudas.
Top Coach
Alvaro Sanchez, New Smyrna Beach: In his first season as New Smyrna Beach’s coach, he piloted the Barracudas to their first-ever state title. They finished with a 25-2 record and closed the year on an 18-match winning streak.
Honorable Mention
Beachside: Erica Duffy, Laney Lipovetsky, Macey Williams
Bartram Trail: Lilly DeLamielleure, Abigail Johnson, Morgan Langley
DeLand: Cora Hamilton, Makayla Senez, Emma Van Deusen
Father Lopez: Hailey Bruce, Emma Dhainaut
Matanzas: Rylan Miller
Menendez: Kiali Olivier
New Smyrna Beach: Kaelyn Fredette-Huffman, Hannah Zona
Ponte Vedra: Ava-Grace Redick
Seabreeze: Bella Dillman, Andie Litz
Spruce Creek: Isabel Castillon, Molly Chappell, Faith Kelly, Caroline Myers
Taylor: Amya Ramos, Ava Ramos
University: Jerianna Flaverney
This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: Volusia-Flagler-St. Johns 2022-23 high school All-Area volleyball team
