Sophomore Player of the Year: Katherine Claybaugh
Katherine Claybaugh, San Ramon Valley
Photo by Dennis Lee
Outside hitter Katherine Claybaugh, of
San Ramon Valley (Danville, Calif.), is the MaxPreps Junior Volleyball Player of the Year. The 5-10 Claybaugh was named the Most Valuable Player in the East Bay Athletic League when she carried the Wolves to an unbeaten league record and a North Coast Section Division I title.
Claybaugh had 646 kills on the season, but was at her best in the NCS playoffs when she had 88 kills in three section playoff matches and 21 more in a NorCal playoff loss to Palo Alto.
Despite being the offensive focus, she scored more than 700 points, accounting for a little better than 40 percent of the Wolves' offense. Claybaugh was selected as the Bay Area News Group's East Bay Player of the Year.
MaxPreps Sophomore Volleyball All-Americans
OH - M.E. Dodge - East Troy (Wis.), 5-10The top hitter on the nation's No. 5 team with 449 kills, 67 blocks, 348 digs and 383 serve receptions in 111 sets, Dodge was named to the All-State Team.
OH - Abby Buckingham - Churchill (San Antonio), 6-2 Buckingham led Churchill to the state 5A finals with 780 kills, 56 aces, 536 serves, 77 blocks, 462 digs and 480 serve receptions. She was named to the All-State Team.
OH - Molly Haggerty - St. Francis (Wheaton, Ill.), 6-0 Haggerty was named Mysuburban.life Media Group's All-Area Player of the Year and was a first team all state choice. She led the Spartans to a state title and 39-3 record. She had 66 blocks and 309 kills. St. Francis finished 14th in the final Xcellent 25.
OH - Jac'cara Walker - P.K. Yonge (Gainesville, Fla.), 5-10 
Khalia Lanier, Xavier College Prep
Photo by Mark Jones
Walker led the youthful Jaguars in most categories en route to a 28-2 season. She had 421 kills, 22 blocks, 301 digs and 103 aces in 97 sets.
OH - Quinn Spieker - Burlington (Wis.), 6-3Behind the all-around play of Spieker, Burlington was 44-2 and won the Wisconsin D1 title for the second-straight year. She finished with 557 kills, 364 digs, 35 solo blocks, 47 aces and 484 serve receptions.
OH - Khalia Lanier - Xavier College Prep (Phoenix), 6-2 Named Arizona's Large School Player of the Year, Lanier recorded 378 kills and 193 digs in leading the team to the state title.
MH - Audriana Fitzmorris - St. James Academy (Lenexa, Kan.), 6-4 Fitzmorris played a major role in St. James running the table (47-0) in 2013 and winning a sixth-straight state title when she hit 67 percent (392 kills), served 95 percent (29 aces) and blocked 152 shots. An all-state selection, she was a member of the U.S. Junior National team.
MH - Madeline Rysztak - St. Francis (Traverse City, Mich.), 5-11Rysztak led St. Francis to a 40-15 record and the regional finals with 503 kills, 123 aces, 47 blocks and 384 digs. She was named all-state.
MH - Katie Kendrick - Allen Central (Eastern, Ky.), 5-6She's short for a middle, but Kendrick followed her outstanding freshman season with all-state honors and improved statistics as Central finished 33-7. She tallied 576 kills, 46 aces, 224 blocks, 176 digs and 218 serve receptions.
MB – Ronika Stone – Valley Christian (San Jose, Calif.), 6-3Stone helped lead Valley Christian to the Division III state title with 384 kills, 42 aces, 92 blocks and 157 digs.
MB - Alex Ratzlaff - Hillsboro (Kan.), 5-10Ratzlaff logged 556 kills, 128 aces, 46 blocks, 325 digs and 196 receptions as the team went 43-1 and won the state 2A title. She was an all-state selection.
MH - Celeste James - Thomas Jefferson (Denver), 5-11James led Jefferson to a 24-2 record as she recorded 419 kills, 49 blocks, 228 digs and 228 service receptions in 82 sets. She was a 99 percent server.
S - Jenna Gray - St. James Academy (Lenexa, Kan.), 5-9 Gray, MaxPreps' 2012 Freshman of the Year, led the Thunder to their sixth-straight state title and set the table for All-American teammates Arianna Person and Audrianna Fitzmorris with 11.4 assists per set (1,116 during St. James' 47-0 season). The first team all-state pick also recorded 75 kills, served 96 percent, blocked 59 shots and recorded 226 digs as St. James lost just one set in 2013 (97 wins).
S - Celeste Fitzgerald - Walton (Marietta, Ga.), 5-9
Jessie Prichard, Santiago
Photo by Michael Jaynes
Fitzgerald led Walton to a 45-5 record and 6A state title with 90 aces, 41 blocks, 381 digs and 1,341 assists.
S - Caitlyn Floyd - Immaculate Heart Academy (Washington Township, N.J.), 5-7Floyd was the setter on the nation's No. 10 team and dished out 1,151 assists (12 per set) as her team won 47 of 49 games and the New Jersey Tournament of Champions. She also served 78 aces en route to being named all-state.
S - Jessie Prichard - Santiago (Corona, Calif.), 5-7Prichard was the playmaker on California's D-II runnerup team that finished 40-1. She provided 67 aces and 1,125 assists in 99 sets. She was selected to the all-CIF Southern Section team.
S - Cali Thompson - Coronado (Henderson, Nev.), 5-10Thompson led Coronado to the state's large school title and a 32-6 record with 108 aces, 52 blocks and 997 assists. She was named the Sunrise Region Player of the Year.
A-A - Melanie McHenry - Speedway (Ind.), 6-2 McHenry led the team to the 2A state semifinals and earned all-state honors with big numbers: 656 kills, 65 aces, 64 blocks, 361 digs and 281 serve receptions. She was selected to the all-state team. McHenry was also the third-leading scorer on the varsity football team that reached the state regional finals when she kicked for 48 points (two field goals and 42 point-after kicks).
A-A - Gia Milana - Romeo (Mich.), 6-2Milana led Romeo to the state tournament and a 44-8 record with 728 kills, 100 aces, 78 blocks, 304 digs and 473 serve receptions. She was named all-state.
A-A - Kylie Miller - Rancho Cucamonga (Calif.), 5-11The Cougars went 24-7 as Miller did a lot of everything – 716 assists, 230 kills, 92 aces and 232 digs. Miller was named to the CIF All-Southern Section first team.