High school volleyball has tossed up the first serve on the 2022 season as several states have begun play with more on the way in the coming weeks. MaxPreps is again spotlighting the best player in each state.
From
All-Americans to up-and-comers, players were identified based on last
year's statistical data provided to MaxPreps,
as well as local, state or national honors from multiple media outlets.
You
could make the case that some, if not all, states could list out
multiple players deserving of the honor. However, we've attempted to
narrow it down to just one player per state set to serve, bump or spike
it up this year.
The rising senior is ready to lead the Jaguars in defense of their 7A state title. In addition to senior leadership, Breazeale, who tallied 489 kills with 268 digs, will be looked to fill the void left by MaxPreps All-American Audrey Rothman. Breazeale is off to a good start after earning MVP honors in the state all-star game over the summer.
The Lynx finished runner-up in the 4A bracket, so Kelzenberg and fellow rising senior
Lauren Sulte will be eager to get back on top of the podium. Kelzenberg finishing 2021 with 358 assists, 205 digs and 198 kills. Sulte pounded 387 kills.
Arizona
The future is bright in the Grand Canyon State. If Hendrix is the top player in the state then rising sophomore
Teraya Sigler of
Horizon (Scottsdale) is definitely 1A. Hendrix powered the Saints to a 37-5 record and 4A title, hammering 626 kills with 283 digs and 71 aces. Sigler, for her part, burst on the scene with 392 kills and 158 digs in her first season as the Eagles soared to the 2A title.
Peanut butter just isn't the same without jelly and Fayetteville is better with the rising senior tandem of setter Phelan and hitter Rockwell. The duo helped the Bulldogs to a 4A title, avenging an earlier loss to Har-Ber. Rockwell finished with
503 kills and 275 digs for 32-4 Fayetteville, pounding 15 kills
in the sweep of Har-Ber. With one more season before heading to Florida State, Phelan enters five assists shy of 3,000. In the Bulldogs' title-winning
season, she dished up 1,123 assists and 274 digs.
There are about a dozen names that could fill this space (
Torrey Stafford,
Babi Gubbins,
Claire Little,
Mele Corral-Blagojevich and up-and-comer
Charlie Fuerbringer among them), but the Stanford commit gets the nod after helping the U.S. U18 team to a bronze medal last September and the U19 to a gold over the summer. She had 139 kills last season, leading the Dons to a CIF Southern California Open Division finals appearance in
November in an ultra-competitive bracket.
Colorado
The junior is committed to Penn State and is ready to lead the Rams to a state title after winning in 2020 but falling short last season. In her sophomore season, Starck, whose sister Anjelina graduated and is headed to play for the Nittany Lions, dished up 410 assists with 392 kills, 85 aces and 50 blocks.
The state tournament MVP after leading the Trojans to their first title since 2017 and eighth overall, she fittingly delivered the final kill of the match. Hadley notched 276 kills, 373 digs and 213 receives as RHAM went 23-5-2.
Delaware
A three-time state champion and two-time all-state player, she's been a key part of the Spartans' 34-match win streak. she hammered 44 kills in the postseason and 258 for the season.
District of Columbia
The Iowa State commit led the Cadets to a 20-11 record with 221 kills and 97 blocks, and a semifinal finish in the postseason.
Florida
Headed to Texas, the 6-foot-4 outside hitter had 551 kills, 258 digs
and 56 blocks as her team went 20-8 and reached the 3A playoffs. She
topped the 1,000-kill mark for her career.
The Mississippi State commit enters her senior season needing 23 kills
to top the 1,000 mark after leading the Raiders to a 27-6 mark and the
AAAAAAA title. In 2021, she tallied 415 kills and 279 digs.
Hawaii
Idaho
The next in line of Bower sisters, the rising junior was a MaxPreps Underclass All-American as a sophomore as the Hawks went 36-2 with wins over
Assumption, Lone Peak and Vista Murrieta. Bower was in the middle of the action with 1,078 assists, 200 digs and 135 kills.
Illinois
The Michigan commit led the Mighty Macs to a 35-7 mark as she pounded out 568 kills. The first freshman to start for coach Jen DeJarld in her time with Mother McAuley, the 5-11 hitter also had 303 digs, 70 blocks and 51 aces.
The Purdue commit had a busy fall helping the U.S. U18 national team
to a bronze medal finish in September in Mexico before returning to
lead the Mavericks to the Indiana 4A title. For McCutcheon, first-team
all-state pick hammered 440 kills with 196 digs, 240 serve receives and
20 aces.
Iowa
The Iowa 2A champs and top-rated team in the state, the two-sport standout (basketball) led the Wolverines to a 54-1 record with 583 kills wwhile adding 377 digs and 97 blocks. Others worth mentioning include Lily Dykstra of Urbandale (633 kills) and Cassidy Hartman of Iowa City Liberty (423 kills)
Kansas
The state 6A player of the year and Kentucky pledge, led the Rural Blues
to a 40-2 finish while delivering 586 kills and 133 aces. Washburn
Rural entered the 6A final four unbeaten before its only two losses of
the year, providing motivation for DeLeye's upcoming senior season.
The future Texas Longhorn boosted the Rockets' national title
aspirations, pounding out 421 kills before a concussion sidelined her
during the gauntlet that is the Kentucky state postseason.
Louisiana
Returning after helping her squad to a 49-2 record and Division I state crown, Hardoiun pounded 338 kills and 360 digs, including a season-high of 17 kills in the state finals match.
A first-team all-state selection, the 6-4 middle finished with 289 kills, 88 blocks and 72 aces as she helped the Tigers to the Class B semifinals.
Maryland
Stepped up as a sophomore in the Gladiators' win the 2A title last season, their first since 2005. Calhoun pounded 27 of her team-high 404 kills in the championship match. She also added 218 digs and 66 aces on the year.
Massachusetts
The Class of 2024 hitter pounded 301 kills with 239 digs and 56 aces for the Rangers, who finished the year 21-1 with their lone loss to Hopkinton in the Division II finals. Anderson was a first-team Massachusetts Volleyball Coaches Association all-state pick.
The future Cornhusker helped the U18 team to a bronze before returning
to the Eagles' run to the Division 1 state title match. The 6-2 Murray
notched 652 kills, 312 digs and 82 aces for the 55-4-2 Eagles, who fell
to No. 2 Marian in the finals.
Minnesota
One of four Trojans to earn all-state honors, the rising junior helped Wayzata to an unbeaten season and 4A title with 936 assists. The top-rated recruit in her class by Prep Dig and Minnesota commit also added 93 kills, 58 aces and 57 blocks to her season numbers.
Mississippi
The 6-2 hitter helped the Raiders to their second straight MAIS Division
1 title, pounding out 509 kills while hitting at 43 percent. The Auburn
commit added 378 digs and 389 serve receives for 38-8 Jackson Academy.
Missouri
A first-team all-state player committed to Texas, the rising senior has 690 assists, 173 digs and 141 kills. The 6-3 setter helped the Bruins to a 34-6 mark and is a three-time all-state pick with 2,213 career assists.
Montana
A ferocious hitter who once hammered 20 kills on 24 swings last season, she helped the Rustlers to an unbeaten Class AA title.
The top hitter for the Titans on their 40-0 march to a Class A title and No. 5 finish in the MaxPreps Top 25. Adeyemi, a MaxPreps All-American had 387 kills with 108 digs. It's worth mentioning in a talent-rich state, teammate
Lauren Medeck, also a MaxPreps All-American, is a rising junior who was second on the Titans with 379 kills.
Nevada
The 6-1 hitter came of age in her first varsity season (Nevada didn't
play in 2020), leading the team with 491 kills. She added 192 digs and 71
blocks for the Gaels, who finished No. 12 in the MaxPreps Top 25.
The 5-11 junior setter dished up 469 assist on her way to being name a Division I first-team all-state pick. She needs just under 200 assist to pass 1,000 for her career.
New Jersey
The junior middle led the Blue Eagles in kills and blocks with 206 and 45, respectively. IHA, which fell short of its 17th state title, finished 23-2 on the year.
New Mexico
Tess Fuqua, Centennial (Las Cruces)The Hawks standout pounded 586 kills and 144 digs for the 23-3 Hawks, who fell to
La Cueva in the 5A semifinals. And while Bears might have the best team coming back behind
Ella Sanders, Centennial could ride Fuqua's hot-hitting hand to a postseason run.
New York
With the graduation of MaxPreps All-Americans Carlie Rzeszotaski and Emma Werkmeister the torch will be passed in the Empire State. Bell was named to the Section V AA All-Tournament Team, the Class AA All-New York State team and hammered 19 kills in a five-set title loss to Victor last season.
North Carolina
Called the best libero in the game by PrepVolleyball.com, the Minnesota commit has been a fixture on the national teams that won bronze (U18) last September and gold (U19) this summer as she was named best receiver.
North Dakota
A two-sport standout who committed to Nebraska for basketball, Nissley led the Patriots to a second straight volleyball title with 361 digs, 357 kills and 24 blocks.
The Ohio State commit was part of the gold medal U19 team over the summer and looks to add on to a junior season where she had 171 kills in 49 sets (she also missed time to play on the U18 national team last September) for the 22-6 Hawks. She was a Division II first-team all-state selection.
Oklahoma
The rising junior put up monster stats with 528 kills (5.1 per set) with 303 digs and 202 receives while being named to the Tulsa World All World first team last season as the Comets went 29-6
The Player of the Year by Oregon Live, Gregoire led Newberg to an 18-6 mark before bowing out in the first round of the playoffs. The University of Oregon commit tallied 172 kills as a freshman.
Headed to Ohio State next season, Tuman led the Tigers to a 20-1 season and fifth straight 4A title. Named the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette's Player of the Year, she had 356 assists, 223 kills, 217 digs and 54 blocks. She follows in the footsteps of 2020-21 MaxPreps Female Athlete of the Year Paige Morningstar, who was a teammate of Tuman.
Rhode Island
The lone sophomore on the all-state team, she is one of the best hitters in the state and led the Crusaders to a Division 1 finals berth.
South Carolina
An all-state selection, the LSU commit and six-rotation player led the 25-6 Mavericks with 329 kills, 211 receives and added 165 digs.
Led her team to a repeat AA state title with 10
kills, three aces, 17 digs and 33 assists in the five-set win over
Washington. Reilly tallied 393 assists, 174 digs and 191 kills as
O'Gorman went 23-4.
If Hurst isn't the best player in the state, then she and older sister
Addison certainly comprise the best tandem as the freshman Lauren rocketed 514 kills and junior Addison added 483 as the Blue Raiders went 38-13, falling to eventual Division I champion Nolensville in the loser's bracket. Both Hurst sisters were chosen as all-state players by the Tennessee Sports Writers Association.
Texas
Utah
With Maggie Mendelson reclassifying, the rising senior assumes the mantle in the Beehive State. Harvey, the 5A player of the year and Stanford commit, dropped 375 kills last year for the 27-3 champions. She's topped 1,000 kills in her career.
Vermont
As a junior, she led Essex to a state title, posting 22 assists, five digs, three kills and seven aces in the four-set title win as the Hornets finished 25-17. She also was an all-state selection by the Vermont Youth Volleyball Association.
Virginia
The 6-4 junior led the Sharks to a 27-4 mark with 268 kills and 98 blocks, good enough to land her on the all-state team.
A BYU commit, she's been tabbed by PrepVolleyball.com as a 2023 player to watch.
The Eagles' first-time all-state selection dominated at the net. The Illinois State commit dropped 582 kills, 251 digs as her team went 19-7.
West Virginia
Leading the Applemen to a 46-4-2 mark and state title, the outside hitter and Gatorade state POY tallied 478 kills, 427 digs, 79 aces and 27 blocks.
Wisconsin
Wyoming
The rising junior led the Plainsmen to a state title and a 32-2 mark. Sister Alexis is gone to the University of Florida, but Maddy, a two-time all-state player returns to lead Laramie after a team-best 736 assists with 172 kills last season.