By Charlene Bisson
West Valley Preps has selected the top volleyball players in the Northwest Valley for the 2016 season.
Please note these positions may not be the exact role each player was in all season but it is a position they are listed for.
The teams are:
First team
OH — Bre Allen, junior, Valley Vista
OH — Kobie Dunn, senior, Deer Valley
MB — Katie DeFer, senior, Ironwood
MH — Kara Spicer, senior, Centennial
S — Dani Wiley, junior, Centennial
L — Reagan Leonard, senior, Centennial
Second team
OH — Kyla Chavez, junior, Valley Vista
OH — Alexa Treguboff, senior, Liberty
RS — Riley Roberge, senior, Glendale Prep
MB — Elizabeth Clemit, senior, Sunrise Mountain
S — McKenna Roth, junior, Northwest Christian
L — Shannon Sons, senior, Peoria
Underclassmen to watch: Cactus: Brittnie Henige, Soph., OH; Centennial: Somner Kasney, Soph., OH; Ashley Lifgren, Fr., OH; Deer Valley: Savannah Davis, Fr., OPP; Dysart: Tionna Hood, Soph., MB; Glendale Prep: Jessica Vargas, Soph., OH; Ironwood: Caitlyn Collins, Soph., OH; Liberty: Haeleigh Paulino, Soph., S; Mountain Ridge: Jordan Kress, Fr., OH; Northwest Christian: Elizabeth Cook, Soph., OH; Makenna McClure, Soph., L; Peoria: Jessia Gonzales, Soph. OPP; Shadow Ridge: Dejah Behrend, Soph., MB; Sunrise Mountain: Jocelyn Teichman, Soph., OH; Shauna Rath, Fr., S; Valley Vista: Anna Myers, Soph., S; Willow Canyon: Cassidy McCoy, Soph., S.
Player of the Year
Kara Spicer, Centennial: It was a question of which Coyote. Spicer gets the nod for being Centennial's finishing option on offense as well as a wall for opposing attacks. Her play down the stretch in the decisive fourth set of the 5A title game clinched the award.
Runner-up: Reagan Leonard, Centennial — The other half of the Coyotes defensive prowess was nearly as indispensable for the state champs. Beyond the statistics, Leonard's court coverage gave Centennial tremendous confidence. Not only did the Coyotes think they could get almost any ball, the players had confidence that Leonard would get the dig in a way that could easily be transitioned to offense.
Coach of the Year
Cari Bauer, Centennial: Everyone knows the back story by now. So let's look at the strategy. Building the confidence of sophomores Kasney and Taleah Cooper and freshmen Lifgren and Nyjah Marcelin allowed the Coyotes to go with an young attack and let Leonard, Spicer and Wiley do what they do best — while still using their versatility. But the master stroke may have been playing senior defensive specialist Taytum Yinger alongside Leonard often. That, plus Spicer and support blockers Cooper and Wiley up front, formed a defense that often broke the will of its opponents.
Runner-up: Jenna Hope, Northwest Christian — The other first year coach that led her team to the state finals edges out Valley Vista's David Chavez for second place. The Crusaders gave her a roster with plenty of talent, but it was young talent and did not include one or two overwhelming players. Instead Hope juggled many combinations to produce a deep, versatile team that probably arrived as a 3A contender a year ahead of schedule.
