 The 2012 volleyball season has come and gone. New school and county records were set and broken, team goals surpassed. There were two state champions (in county), three teams in the state finals, four teams with Final Four appearances and every single Fayette County high school sent a team to postseason play.
Considering the depth and talent that exists in Fayette County volleyball, assembling the Fayette News All-County Volleyball first, second and honorable mention teams was no easy task. The selection was kept to players in schools literally in Fayette County which helped narrow the field. Apologies to Landmark Christian who had a tremendous season of their own. Even doing so, there were still players in our county who could have easily made All-County teams had they lived somewhere else.
With two teams winning State Championships, it is only right to lead off the 2012 All-County Team with Co-Players of the Year honors: Allie
Davenport, Sandy Creek outside hitter, and Teegan Van Gunst, Whitewater outside hitter, deserve top honors for outstanding seasons.
Allie Davenport, a senior, played in 134 games, racking up 645 kills, 141 aces, 47.5 blocks, and 342 digs to help her team win the AAAA championship. She is the AAAA 2012 State Player of the Year, AAAA All State First Team, Senior All Star, and a 2009-2012 All Area team selection. Allie played on the varsity team starting as a freshman and helped lead the Patriots to a Final Four or better record each year she has been on the team. The Lady Patriots also won state last year as a AAA powerhouse, with Allie leading the team in kills in 2011. Allie will continue her volleyball career playing for the University of Tennessee-Chattanooga.
Wildcats’ senior OH, Teegan Van Gunst played in 113 games contributing 504 kills, 40 aces, 43.5 blocks, and 406 digs to the Wildcats’ AAAAA State title this year. She has played varsity since her freshman year in 2009, when the Wildcats won their first state volleyball title. She is the AAAAA 2012 State Player of the Year, AAAAA All State First Team, Senior All Star, All-Area team 2011 and 2012, Area Player of the Year 2011. She has led the Cats to the Finals in three of her four years, only falling short of top prize in 2011. Teegan will continue her volleyball career playing for Georgia Tech alongside the next player on our First Team.
Whitewater’s Annika Van Gunst, senior middle hitter/blocker played in 120 games with 427 kills, 60 aces, 102.5 blocks and 298 digs. Her honors include 2012 first team All State, All Area Team, 2012 All Area 5-AAAAA MVP. Other First Team middle hitters/blockers are Lady Chief senior Breana Jones (114 games, 252 kills, 113 blocks) whose honors include 2012 All Area, Senior All Star, AAAAA first Team All State and 2012 Prep Senior Ace) and Creek’s junior Sydney Wilson (127 games, 317 kills, 72.5 blocks.) with Honors 2011, 2012 All Area Team, 2012 first team All State.
All County First Team setters/RH positions get filled by Patriot’s freshman setter Alexis Broadwater (130 games, 1123 assists, 101 aces, 205 digs) (2012 All Area), Wildcat’s junior setter Kait Steele (99 games, 1015 assists, 60 kills, 41 aces), Our Lady of Mercy senior Mary Katherine Schmitz (69 games, 209 kills, 159 aces, 59 blocks, 500 assists) (2012 A 1st team All State, 2012 Senior All Star, All area 2009, 2011, 2012) and Wildcats senior Madison Akins (114 games, 330 kills, 85 aces, 68 blocks) (2011, 2012 All Area, 2012 first team All State, Senior All Star).
Finishing off our First Team are defensive specialists. Every team knows you can’t win a game without first playing great defense. Whitewater’s Abby Baker, senior Libero, posted 558 digs and 43 aces in 97 games and earned first team All State honors. Her teammate, senior defense specialist Marisa Woodworth played in 109 games with 376 digs and 38 aces. Lastly, Starrs Mill’s Janice Park, senior Libero, finishes off our First Team selection. The Panthers third year varsity player had 527 digs and 55 aces for the year.
Fayette News 2012 Coach of the Year honors also get shared by our two championship coaches, Paul Collins of Sandy Creek and Valerie Jones of the Wildcats.
Coach Collins has commanded the helm of the Patriot volleyball program for more than a decade, with a winning season every year. Celebrating his 500th career win this year made winning state extra special, and underlined that he has the proven formula for success on the court.
Coach Valerie Jones assumed command of Whitewater’s volleyball program last year and has taken the Cats to a 95-18 overall win-loss record. Both years she led the Wildcats to the State Finals, prevailing this year as state champions.
Players making the All-County Second Team include: Rhana Mitchell (junior OH McIntosh: 341 kills, 341 digs, 51 aces), Charlotte Hughes (junior OH, Whitewater: 216 kills, 207 digs, 45 aces), Ashley Young (senior, MH McIntosh: 194 kills, 56.5 blocks), Diana Enriquez (junior, MH Starrs Mill: 277 kills, 69 aces , 65 blocks), Alisha Erves (senior, MH Sandy Creek: 239 kills, 77 aces, 26.5 blocks, 206 digs), Rhegan Mitchell (junior, setter/RH, McIntosh: 141 kills, 51 aces, 493 assists, 254 digs), Abbi Schellkopf (OH/def, junior, McIntosh: 206 kills, 74 aces, 374 digs, 14 blocks) and Jenny Bui (senior, Libero, OLM: 134 aces, 234 digs). The above players showed strong offense and defense, helping their teams advance as far as they did this year.
Players named Honorable Mention are: Tori Sellers (senior, OH Sandy Creek), Claire Houghtaling (senior, OH Starrs Mill), Nikki Resler (senior, OH Starrs Mill), Wildcats’ Victoria Webb (junior, MH), Fayette County Tigers’ Samantha Wagner (sophomore, MH) and Cheyanne Walker (junior, MH). Jenny Tomasello (senior, setter/RH, Starrs Mill), Katerina Robert (senior Libero, McIntosh) and her sister Kassandra Robert (junior, defense specialist, McIntosh) complete the Honorable Mentions.
Congratulations to the players and coaches making the Fayette News 2012 All County Volleyball Teams. Your efforts contributed to your teams’ success on the volleyball court this season. As a result, Fayette County volleyball continues to build its reputation as a serious contender and its legacy of volleyball success. |
