Class 3A: Dark Horse – Arlington
The next high school volleyball season won’t start in Washington until March 2021, but there’s absolutely no reason why we should wait until there to know more about the best teams in each class. In this series, we’ll dissect each…
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Continue ReadingThe next high school volleyball season won’t start in Washington until March 2021, but there’s absolutely no reason why we should wait until there to know more about the best teams in each class. In this series, we’ll dissect each of the state’s six divisions by analyzing the top teams and the most promising players and what we can expect from them when the balls are finally allowed to fly. It’s the fifth week of the series now, so class 3A is our focus.
Arlington
After finishing sixth at last year’s State Championship, Arlington barely fits the dark horse category in the division. The Eagles, however, have more than enough talent to dream about moving up in the standings next season and a key factor in making it happen will be finding ways to replace the production of All-State second team nominee outside hitter Arianna Bilby, who graduated and will no longer be with the team.
Their three key players are:
Emily Mekelburg Emily Mekelburg 6'0" | OH Arlington | 2022 WA – Outside Hitter – Junior
Emily Mekelburg Emily Mekelburg 6'0" | OH Arlington | 2022 WA was Arlington’s second most important offensive piece last year, registering 228 kills for the team over the course of the season. The six-footer exploded for 29 kills against Snohomish at the State Championship and more performances like that will be needed if the Eagles intend to contend for the title. An All-State team honorable mention nominee in 2019, Mekelburg also helped with 87 aces and 117 digs. She’s part of prepdig.com’s class of 2022 watch list.
Paige Richards – Libero/Defensive Specialist – Senior
In order to succeed, Arlington will need to be strong defensively as well and the Eagles seem to be well-equipped to do so because of the presence of Paige Richards. The libero/defensive specialist was at her best last season, when she had 181 digs and 264 passes for the team, ranking only behind Bilby in both areas. With the senior out of the picture, it will be instrumental that the 5’5” Richards covers even more ground on Arlington’s backcourt.
Taylor Pederson Taylor Pederson 5'6" | S Arlington | 2022 WA – Setter – Junior
Taylor Pederson Taylor Pederson 5'6" | S Arlington | 2022 WA had a career year for Arlington in 2019, having her best production yet on basically every skill, most notably in assists, where she registered 475. The 5’7” setter also had promising numbers in aces (38) and digs (145), earning her spot at prepdig.com’s class of 2022 watch list. Her main challenge in the upcoming season will be revamping the Eagles’ offense in the absence of Bilby.