MaxPreps 2015 High School Medium Schools All-American Girls Volleyball Team

Video: 1,076 kills set national record
See highlights of national record holder Sarah Tabit, a MaxPreps Medium Schools All-Ameircan.

Medium Schools Player of the Year - Ronika Stone, Valley Christian (San Jose, Calif.)

Valley Christian coach Ron Whithall isn't shy about heaping praise on Stone, a 6-foot-3 senior who has led Valley Christian to a pair of state titles in her four varsity seasons.

"Both my daughters go to the elementary at Valley and are very close with my team," said Whithall. "I just feel very blessed to have been able to have had Ronika around them as a role model of what a student athlete should be. And I'm extremely proud to have had the privilege to coach her."

Stone recorded 630 kills (5.67 per set average), blocked 67 shots, served for 220 points and had 429 digs as Valley won the California Division III title and 30 matches.

"She basically played two positions at the same time for me," said Whithall. "We put her in the middle where she is at her best offensively, but had her take on the ball control responsibilities of an outside hitter as well. She played all six rotations, was a primary passer and was second on the team in digs with over 400.

"She is a leader in the gym as well. She is the one at practice that always makes sure her teammates are working hard and are paying attention when coaches are talking," said Whithall. "And she takes coaching very well. I've been coaching for almost 20 years and I've never had a better athlete or teammate in my gym."

Stone was a member of the Team USA Junior Women's squad that won the world title last summer in Peru and led the world in hitting percentage. She is a three-time honoree of the MaxPreps All-American Team.

When asked how he will replace Stone, Whithall said, "You don't. There will never be another player like her in our program. Valley Christian has had great players in the past and will have more in the future I'm sure. But she is a very unique person."

The daughter of former All-Pro NFL player Ron Stone, she has committed to Oregon, where her sister Ronna is a track and field athlete.

Medium Schools Team of the Year - Gabriel Richard (Ann Arbor, Mich.)

In winning Michigan's Class B State title, Gabriel Richard (42-0) won 102 of 108 sets and did not need a five-set match all season, finishing third in the MaxPreps Xcellent 25 National Volleyball Rankings presented by the Army National Guard.

The team was led by seniors Emily Tanski (5.2 kills per set), Rachel Dunlavy (4.4 digs, 5.0 serve receptions per set) and Sydney Burton (1.1 block per set) and juniors Jurnee Tipton (4.6 kills) and Emma Nowak (11.3 assists per set). Tanski and Nowak earned MaxPreps All-American honors.

In addition to winning the prestigious Beast of the East Tournament, Gabriel Richard handed Novi, the state's large-school champion, one of its two losses on the season.

Medium Schools Coach of the Year: Hadli Daniels, Buford (Ga.)

Despite having only one senior, Daniels guided her team to 41-0 season and the state 4A title. That was after going 40-3 last season with five seniors. This year's team featured six sophomores, five juniors and two freshmen.

Top players were junior Gabby Curry (Daily Pilot POY, State 4A POY and Gatorade State POY) and sophomore Tatum Shipes. Curry is also a MaxPreps All-American and Snipes is receiving consideration for the MaxPreps Underclass All-American Team.


MH - Caroline Marsh, North Henderson (Hendersonville, N.C.), 5-10 Jr.
Though the 15-7 Knights had a short postseason, Marsh once again put up big numbers: 7.5 kills per set, 145 blocks (2.1 per set) and 3.1 digs per set. She also returned 369 serves with only 23 errors. Marsh was named to MaxPreps Underclass All-American teams as a freshman and sophomore.

MB - Shardonee Hayes, Columbus (Ga.), 6-3 Sr.
Named the Georgia 5A Player of the Year as well as Area 1-AAAAA POY, Hayes has signed with Arizona. She led Columbus to three straight state 5A titles and as a senior recorded 530 kills and 114 blocks for the 46-7 Blue Devils.

MB - Devyn Cross, Desert (Edwards AFB, Calif.), 6-1 Sr.
Named the CIF-Southern Section's D-4 POY, Cross led Desert to the state semifinals and a 28-3 season. The Arizona signee averaged 4.6 kills (51.9 kill percentage), served 46 aces, blocked 131 shots (1.5 per set) and had 370 digs (4.2).

OH - Emily Tanski, Gabriel Richard (Ann Arbor, Mich.) 5-10 Sr.
Team captain of MaxPreps' No. 3 team, Tanski led Gabriel Richard to a state title and 42-0 record. She averaged 5.2 kills (552) per set and added 48 aces, 59 blocks, 393 digs (3.7) and had 310 serve receptions. The future New Hampshire University athlete was first team Class B all-state and the Ann Arbor News POY.

OH - Meredith Norris, Corunna (Mich.), 6-3 Jr.
Norris made headlines a year ago by recording 53 kills in a match. This year, she had a high of 56 to go along with a season total of 836 (6.4 per set average) as Corunna won 32 matches. Named the POY on the Lansing State Journal's Elite Team, she also had 74 aces (94 percent), blocked 56 shots and had a team-high 585 digs (4.5) and 696 serve receptions. She has committed to Michigan State.

OH - Mary Dodge, East Troy (Wis.), 5-10 Sr.
Dodge, who has committed to Wisconsin, recorded 670 kills (.486 kill percentage), 428 digs and 43 service aces in leading the Trojans (32-10) to the D-2 state final this past season. A three-time first team all-state selection, Dodge was named the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel's All-Area Player of the Year.

OH - Julia Scoles, South Iredell (Statesville, N.C.), 6-1 Sr.
The North Carolina signee led the Vikings to a 27-1 record and 3A state title, as Scoles recorded 283 digs, 231 kills (.441 kill percentage) and 122 service aces. In the state title game, she slammed 23 kills on 28 swings (.821). Scoles, a three-time Statesville Record & Landmark Player of the Year, was North Carolina's Gatorade POY.

OH - Maria Bellinger, Paramus (N.J.), 6-1 Sr.
Bellinger recorded 434 kills (7.4 kill average, 50.8 kill percentage), 159 digs (3.1) and 42 service aces while leading the Spartans (21-6) to the Group 3 state championship match. The 2015 Star Ledger State Player of the Year, Bellinger is a two-time Bergen Record North Jersey Player of the Year choice and a two-time first team all-state honoree. The state's Gatorade winner, Bellinger will attend Delaware University.

OH - Sarah Tabit, Mt. Morris (Mich.), 5-9 Sr.
Tabit set a national single-season kill record of 1,076 in leading the Panthers to a 68-6-3 record. She averaged 6.0 kills per set (59.8 percent) on 1,740 attempts. Tabit, who was named the Flint Journal POY, also had 168 aces. The first team Class B all-state player will attend Saginaw Valley State.

S - Corinne Cox, Notre Dame Academy (Hingham, Mass.), 6-2 Sr.
A two-time Gatorade State POY, Cox led the Cougars to a 22-1 record and the D-2 state championship. Cox totaled 771 assists, 124 digs, 71 kills, 52 service aces and 42 blocks. A two-time Boston Globe All-Scholastic selection and a three-time D-2 first team all-state honoree, Cox will attend Dartmouth.

S - Carlee Ketchum, West Delaware (Manchester, Iowa), 5-8 Sr.
Ketchum averaged 1.68 kills, 8.16 assists and 2.72 digs per set as the Hawks (49-2) captured the state 4A title. A two-time first team all-state selection, she was named Player of the Year by the Iowa Girls Coaches Association, as well as Gatorade State POY. She has signed with Upper Iowa University.

S - Sydney Fulton, Delaware Military Academy (Wilmington, Del.), 5-8 Jr.
Fulton led the Seahawks to a 26-0 record and the state championship this past season. The state's returning Gatorade State POY recorded 718 assists, 153 digs, 55 kills and 40 service aces. A two-time first team all-state selection, she was also named Player of the Year by the Delaware Interscholastic Volleyball Coaches Association.

L- Emma Kowalkowski, Notre Dame Prep (Pontiac, Mich.), 5-5 Sr.
Another Michigan Miss Volleyball finalist, Kowalkowski recorded a state-best 1,028 digs in 2015 and also had 368 service points with 101 aces. She also showed her all-around versatility with 104 assists and 90 kills. A first team all-stater for the 46-10 Fighting Irish, she has signed with Western Kentucky.

L - Alexis Dirige, Sacred Heart Cathedral (San Francisco), 5-2 Sr.
Dirige, who has committed to Washington State, plays much bigger than her height and recorded 687 digs (6.0), served 90.9 percent (52 aces) and returned 555 serves (4.9) as Sacred Heart finished 30-9.

A-A - Meghan Donovan, Villa Duchesne (St. Louis), 6-3 Sr.
Donovan led the Saints (33-7-1) to the 3A state championship when she recorded 1,049 assists, 230 digs, 200 kills, 54 blocks and 48 service aces. A Georgia signee, she concluded her prep volleyball career with a state-record 3,468 assists as well as 949 digs and 605 kills. Donovan was Missouri's Gatorade POY.

A-A - Cheyenne Huskey, Columbus (Texas), 6-2 Sr.
A state-caliber high jumper, Huskey was named the Texas Sports Writers' State Small School POY. She led Columbus to a 41-9 season when she tallied 419 kills, served 95 aces, blocked 158 shots (1.1 per set), had 368 digs (2.6 average) and dished out 1,092 assists (7.6 per set). She has signed with Florida.

Second Team

MB - Laynie Dake, Mt. Vernon (Mo.), 6-2 Sr.
Dake nabbed first team all-state status from the Missouri High School Volleyball Coaches Association as Mt. Vernon went 28-5 and Dake averaged 5.6 kills (51.7 percent), blocked 58 shots, had 227 digs and committed just 10 serve reception errors. She has signed with Missouri State.

MH - Kaylin Korte, Morris (Ill.), 6-1 Sr.
The University of Illinois-bound senior totaled 557 kills (6.4, 52.1 kill percentage) while adding 229 digs, 70 blocks and 38 aces. The all-stater also had 5.1 serve receptions per match.

MH - Jessi Holly, Upper Sandusky (Ohio), 6-2 Sr.
Holly has had four stellar seasons for the Rams, but her senior season was her best, as she tallied 6.2 kills (475 total, 50.5 percent), served 94.6 percent (29 aces), blocked 51 shots, had 229 digs and returned 152 serves with only eight errors. The first team all-state pick has signed with Bowling Green.

MH - Elizabeth Shelton, Desert (Edwards AFB, Calif.), 6-2 Sr.
Also a standout basketball and track athlete, Shelton teamed with all-American teammate Devon Cross to give the Owls one of the best frontlines in California. She had a kill percentage of 52.8 and averaged 5.1 kills per set. She also served an ace 22.3 percent of the time, blocked 101 shots, had 288 digs and returned 356 serves in 88 sets. The Arizona signee was a first-team CIF Southern Section 4A selection.

OH - Caroline Rassenfoss, Christian Academy (Louisville, Ky.), 6-3 Sr.
A three-time all-state selection, Rassenfoss was named the Kentucky 2A POY in 2015 after leading the Centurions to a 26-12 season. She averaged 4.4 kills, 3.9 digs and blocked 63 shots. She has signed to play at Wake Forest.

OH - Deahna Kraft, Garfield (Seattle), 6-1 Sr.
The Sound Division's MVP, Kraft led Garfield to a 24-6 record with 403 kills (5.0 average), 44 blocks, 65 aces, 230 digs and 4.0 serve receptions per match. She has committed to play beach volleyball at Pepperdine.

OH - Taylor Borup, Loudoun County (Leesburg, Va.), 6-3 Sr.
Named Virginia's 4A POY, Borup had a kill percentage of 53.8 (4.8 per set average), 220 digs (2.7 average), blocked 42 shots, served 93 percent (29 aces) and returned an average of four serves per set. She has signed with North Carolina.

OH - Pearl Escobar, Calexico (Calif.), 5-10 Sr.
Escobar put Calexico on the map a year ago, leading the Bulldogs to an 18-15 record and the state playoffs for the first time in school history. This year, they went 25-11 and 4-1 in the postseason, as Escobar averaged 6.6 kills (52.7 percent) and 3.5 digs. She also served 95.5 percent with 75 aces. She has signed with Hawaii Pacific after a second-team all-CIF San Diego Section award.

OH - Emily Baptista, Hilmar (Calif.), 6-2 Sr.
Baptista, a two-time MaxPreps all-American, led Hilmar deep into the postseason for the third-straight season and once again put up eye-popping numbers: 5.2 kills (579, 51.7 percent), 91 aces (22.7 percent of her serves were aces), 39 blocks and 374 digs (3.4). She has signed with Pacific.

OH - Jemma Yeadon, Mercer Island (Wash.), 5-9 Sr.
Yeadon averaged 5.7 kills (56.3 percent) and 3.0 digs per set. But she also served an ace 19.7 percent of the time in leading Mercer Island to a 21-4 season. Yeadon, named King County 3A MVP, has signed with Notre Dame.

S - Jordyn Nelson, Greenway (Phoenix), 5-4 Jr.
Nelson averaged 10 assists per set to lead the Demons to Arizona's D-3 title, but the most impressive statistic is her 99 percent serving percentage and 105 aces that led to 460 points. In 624 service attempts, she committed just six errors. As a result, she was first team all-state.

S - Holly Huffman, Cheyenne Mountain (Colorado Springs, Colo.), 5-9 Sr.
Huffman led the Indians to a season-ending 20 straight wins and the state 4A title. The first team all-stater averaged 11.7 assists in 89 sets. She has served 36 aces, blocked 39 shots and had 135 digs as well.

S - Cassedi Simon, West Liberty (Iowa), 5-9 Sr.
A four-sport athlete and the state 3A Volleyball POY, Simon compiled 952 assists, 32 ace serves, 188 kills and 229 digs this season to help West Liberty (37-5) finish as state runner-up. Simon, along with her twin sister Maddie, has signed with Boise State.

S - Lexie Libs, Providence (Clarksville, Ind.), 5-11 Jr.
Libs, an all-state selection, did more than just quarterback the Pioneers' 3A state championship team (10.1 assists per set), as she also blocked 113 shots (1.0), served for 190 points and recorded 130 kills (1.1).

A-A - Gabby Curry, Buford (Ga.), 5-8 Jr.
Curry led the Wolves to a 41-0 record and the Class AAAA championship this past season. Also the Class AAAA Co-Player of the Year as named by the Georgia Volleyball Coaches Association, Curry amassed 508 digs, 283 kills, 116 service aces and 30 assists. In a 3-2, title-clinching win over St. Pius X Catholic, she collected 20 digs, 13 kills and four service aces.

A-A - Riley Fisbeck, La Grange (Texas), 6-1 Sr.
The future Texas Longhorn put up great numbers regardless of position on the court: 509 kills (4 per set), 97 percent serving (37 aces and 240 points), 56 blocks, 374 digs (2.9 average) and 478 assists (3.8). Fisbeck, a four-time all-state selection, led La Grange to a 39-7 season.

Third Team

MB - Lauren Huebner, Swan Valley (Saginaw, Mich.), 5-7 Sr.
Huebner was named the Saginaw News Volleyball Player of the Year after leading the Vikings to a 58-7 record, a Tri-Valley Conference Central Division title and a Class B district title. Her stats were impressive: 813 kills (2,019 kills for her varsity career), 294 digs, 278 service points, 51 aces and 57 blocks. Huebner is the defending D-2 state 300-meter hurdles champion.

MH - MacKenzie Weaver, Lexington (Ohio), 6-1 Sr.
A two-time all-Ohio selection, Weaver averaged 6.4 kills (54.3 percent), 104 blocks and 346 digs. She concluded her high school career with a total of 1,631 kills (.406 hitting percentage), 1,083 digs, 510 assists, 145 service aces, 313 blocks and a .406 hitting percentage. Headed for Syracuse, she is a four-time first-team Ohio Capital Conference pick.

MH - Devon Merritt, Berks Catholic (Reading, Pa.), 6-1 Sr.
Merritt led the Saints to a 44-1 season and the state AA title, as she totaled 643 kills (5.4 average, 56.6 kill percentage), 56 aces, 163 blocks and tallied 167 digs. She will play basketball at James Madison.

OH - Halie McArdle, Gretna (Neb.), 5-9 Sr.
McArdle, who has signed with Wyoming, was named to Nebraska's Super-State Team after leading Gretna (35-3) to the state Class B title match. She totaled 500 (5.0 average) kills, 98.6 serving percentage (42 aces), 472 digs and 4.0 serve receptions per match.

OH - Jena Otec, St. Pius X (Festus, Mo.), 5-11 Jr.
Otec was one of the nation's kill leaders, averaging 6.52 a set. She also had 37 aces and led the Lancers with 314 digs. Otec led the Lancers to a 33-4-2 record and a second-place finish in Class 3, and was named first team all-St. Louis Metro.

OH - Lauren Dorrell, Father Ryan (Nashville, Tenn.), 6-0 Sr.
Dorrell led the Irish (40-10) to a the DII-AA state championship. She recorded 466 kills, 314 digs and 46 blocks. In addition to being named Gatorade State POY, she was also named MVP of the Div. II-AA state tournament. She has signed with Colorado.

OH - Kenna DeLancey, Ritchie County (Ellenboro, W. Va.), 5-8 Sr.
There might not be a more decorated athlete in high school sports. In her final volleyball season for the Rebels, DeLancey finished with 571 kills, 43 aces, 165 digs, 80 blocks and served at 95 percent and was named the 2015 West Virginia Sports Writers Association Volleyball Player of the Year. A MaxPreps 2015 Softball All-American, DeLancey has been named AA all-state three times and was the state State Gatorade Player of the Year as a sophomore.

OH - Shayne McPherson, Kennedy Catholic (Burien, Wash.), 5-7 Sr.
McPherson, who was Washington's Gatorade State POY, led the Lancers to a 29-2 record and the Class 3A state championship this past season. She totaled 300 kills, 262 digs and 93 service aces. The MVP of the Class 3A state tournament and the Player of the Year in the Seamount Conference, she has signed with Washington.

S - Tori Dilfer, Valley Christian (San Jose, Calif.), 5-10 Jr.
The daughter of former NFL quarterback Trent Dilfer, Tori Dilfer averaged 11.25 assists as Valley won California's D-3 state title. She also scored 213 points on serves (37 aces in 400 attempts), blocked 31 shots and 332 digs.

S - Emily Robinson, Lafayette (Oxford, Miss.), 5-6 Sr.
Robinson was second nationally with her 214 aces (scoring 313 points with a 96.3 percentage). Her 925 assists ranked No. 1 in Mississippi. She also recorded 83 kills and had more than 200 digs and was named Oxford Eagle POY for the second year in row. A .550-plus hitter, Robinson was also the Area's Softball POY.

S - Emma Nowak, Gabriel Richard (Ann Arbor, Mich.), 5-10 Jr.
The quarterback of Gabriel Richard's 42-0 season and State Class B title, Nowak averaged 11.3 assists (1,210 total), served 93.5 percent (43 aces), blocked 74 shots and had 323 digs. Gabriel Richard finished the season ranked No. 3 in the Xcellent 25 and Nowak was first team all-state.

S - Megan Kronschnabel, Faith Lutheran (Las Vegas), 5-3 Sr.
Kronschnabel led Faith Lutheran (30-11) to its third-straight 1A state title, serving 98.9 percent (85 aces in 535 serves). She also registered 10.5 assists, had 168 digs and 74 kills (60.7 kill percentage).

L - Kate Isaksen, Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake (Burnt Hills, N.Y.), 5-4 Sr.
Isaksen led the Spartans to their sixth Class A state title as she recorded 420 digs (4.2 per set). She also served 93.4 percent (64 aces). In the 2014 state final, she had 45 digs in a 3-2 loss. Isaksen, who has a black belt in Karate, was named the 2015 Suburban Council MVP.

L - Michelle Messbarger, Kearney Catholic (Neb.), 5-5 Sr.
Messbarger helped lead Kearney to a 34-2 record and fourth-straight state C1 title, as she recorded 6.7 digs per set. She also served for 128 points in 84 sets and returned 548 serves (6.5 per set) with just 12 errors. She was first team Associated Press All State.

A-A - Riley Duzenack, Melissa (Texas), 5-8 Sr.
The national leader in services aces, Duzenack was all over the court for the 24-14 Cardinals. In addition to 224 aces and scoring 408 points (on 668 serves), she had 715 assists (5.9), 244 digs (1.8), 323 kills (2.6) and had 23 aces in a 3-0 win over Tom Bean. An all-stater and District 12-4A Most Valuable Player, Duzenack signed with Mississippi State.

A-A - Haven Bethune, Baylor (Chattanooga, Tenn.), 5-11 Sr.
Put Bethune anywhere and she will shine. The future Army Cadet was all-state and a Regional MVP after leading Baylor deep in the playoffs and to a 43-6 record. Her per set averages included: 3.4 kill average (433), 2.5 digs (327), 3.8 assists (484) and 2.3 serve receptions (300). She also served 92.2 percent for 382 points (65 aces).