Class 1B: The Powerful Servers
Making an impact from the service line is the goal of every high school volleyball program as a good and effective serve is the foundation for any efficient defensive system. Serving also provides teams with the massive opportunity of scoring…
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Continue ReadingMaking an impact from the service line is the goal of every high school volleyball program as a good and effective serve is the foundation for any efficient defensive system. Serving also provides teams with the massive opportunity of scoring points with a single action and these five prospects showed they can do that and more during the 2019 season of the Class 1B in Washington.
Mabrie Richards – Middle-Blocker – Junior – Three Rivers Christian
Mabrie Richards was phenomenal from the service line to Three Rivers Christian in 2019. The 5’8” middle-blocker was a nightmare for teams across the net because of her deadly serves, which earned the Eagles impressive 100 points last season. Richards registered a good amount of those aces when she scored 21 points from the service line against Mary M. Knight – in that match more than half of her serves became direct points for the Eagles.
Vanessa Ayres – Middle-Blocker – Sophomore – Republic
Vanessa Ayres’ 34 aces during the 2019 season might seem unimpressive at first, but when put into context, they show how dangerous of a server the Republic prospect is. A middle-blocker for the Tigers, Ayres had just 68 serving attempts in the entire season, meaning one of each two serves she fired turned into an easy point for her team. If she can keep the same consistency with extended playing time, her serving will be a force for the Tigers in 2020.
Belle Stark – Right Sider – Sophomore – Northport
Belle Stark first showed she could be an interesting piece for Northport in 2018, when she played as an eight-grader. Her overall game developed nicely during her freshman campaign last year and one aspect of it that stood out was her serving ability. The 5’11” right sider saw a massive rise in her aces, jumping from an average of 0.5 per set to 1.2. Stark registered a total of 76 aces last season and there’s probably more to come in 2020 as she continues to develop as a player.
Allison Nichols – Setter – Senior – Pope John Paul II
A 5’8” setter, Allison Nichols carried Pope John Paul II last season alongside senior outside hitter Molly Zepeda. The duo was particularly effective from the service line, combining for 150 of the 209 aces scored by the Eagles in the season – 98 from Zepeda, 52 from Nichols. With Zepeda graduated, Nichols should be even more aggressive with her serves in 2020 and performances like the ones she had against Seattle Lutheran and Concordia Christian Academy, when she registered 11 aces, might become more frequent.
Chantelle Isaacson – Outside Hitter – Junior – Three Rivers Christian
Chantelle Isaacson made a strong pair with Mabrie Richards in 2019 and much of the benefit they brought to Three Rivers Christian started at the service line. The 5’9” Isaacson was nearly as effective as her teammate, registering 96 aces in 2019 – only four less than Richards. Her most memorable serving performance came against Tenino, when she had 12 aces for the Eagles.