High School Top Performers: 3A/4A Divisions
The high school volleyball season continues at full pace in the state of Washington. After several months of wait and uncertainty, it has been great to see these student-athletes being able to get on the court again and doing what…
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Continue ReadingThe high school volleyball season continues at full pace in the state of Washington. After several months of wait and uncertainty, it has been great to see these student-athletes being able to get on the court again and doing what they love.
It is, however, a shortened season and in a little over three weeks it will have come to an end already. Knowing that, we certainly don’t want to waste any time and will continue with our weekly articles highlights the players who have been doing a great job in each of the state’s six divisions.
Let’s look at the players who are turning heads in the 3A and 4A Divisions.
3A
Naisa Williams – Outside Hitter – Mount Vernon – 2021
Naisa Williams ended her high school career on a high as the 5’10” outside hitter has put up some strong numbers for Mount Vernon. Williams led the Bulldogs’ offense with impressive 152 kills and had a career-high average of 3.6 kills per set. She also lifted her team’s defensive game with 136 digs and 182 passes. Williams was the second-best server and blocker for the Bulldogs with 20 aces and ten blocks.
Katherine Jenson – Outside Hitter – Wilson – 2022
Katherine Jenson was the heart and soul of a Wilson team that went undefeated in the season with 11 wins in as many matches. The 5’9” outside hitter displayed significant growth in her game from the 2019 season and improved all of her averages with the Rams. Jenson was particularly strong on offense and defense, leading the team in both departments with 129 kills and 141 digs. She had a phenomenal performance in a 3-1 win against Bonney Lake in which she registered 16 kills and 22 digs.
Becky Merca – Setter – Walla Walla – 2022
Becky Merca took over as Walla Walla’s main setter this season and responded well to the challenge, putting up some big numbers for the Blue Devils. The 5’7” prospect was a key piece in the team’s 10-5 campaign and orchestrated the team’s offense in a fantastic way. Merca handed out 384 assists to an average of seven per set and also contributed with her defense (136 digs), serving (17 aces) and block (five points).
4A
Katarina Thelin – Setter – Graham-Kapowsin – 2021
Katarina Thelin was an efficient connecting point between the Brockway sisters at Graham-Kapowsin. The 5’5” setter turned a pass or a dig from libero Madison into an assist to outside hitter Hailey a number of times during the season. She ended the season with impressive 440 assists to an average of 8.5 per set and went over the 40-assists line on two occasions, including a 48-assist performance at the last match of the season against Peninsula.
Hannah Byers – Outside Hitter – Olympia – 2024
Every time a six-foot freshman walks into a team there are high expectations about the impact she will make and Olympia has nothing to regret about Hannah Byers in that regard. The outside hitter immediately became the Lady Bears’ go-to scoring option and responded well to the challenge, delivering 144 kills to an average of 3.3 per set and an impressive kill percentage of 44.2%. She also did well with her serve-receiving, ranking second in the squad with 82 passes.
Lanah Duque – Libero – South Kitsap – 2021
Lanah Duque had a strong defensive performance in her last year of high school volleyball. The 5’2” South Kitsap libero ended the season with 159 digs, averaging 3.9 per set. She also contributed from the service line with 13 aces. A 3-0 victory against Bremerton in which Duque registered 16 digs and four aces probably represented her best performance in South Kitsap’s 5-8 campaign.