6B
Sunday, January 11, 2015
Denton Record-Chronicle
Denton Record-Chronicle
2014 All-Area Volleyball MOST VALUABLE PLAYER
OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Eighmy Dobbins Argyle, Jr., OH There was no mistaking Dobbins’ brilliance this season, and the best part for the Lady Eagles is that she’s still got her senior year in front of her. The junior outside hitter scored a team-high 566 kills to go along with 321 digs, and those efforts earned her a TGCA Class 4A all-state selection. Perhaps Dobbins’ biggest contributions were in matches where Argyle was left short-handed because of injuries to teammates Katy Keenan and Alexa Bass. Both girls missed a handful of matches, especially in district, but Dobbins was a constant on the court and made sure Argyle never missed a beat. Argyle rode an eye-popping 17-match win streak into the Class 4A state final, where it lost to two-time champion and rival Decatur. Dobbins rattled off 15 kills in a sweep of Liberty Hill to send the program to its first state final.
SETTER OF THE YEAR
Alexa Bass Argyle, Jr. The fact that Bass was selected as the Setter of the Year only describes part of her value to the Lady Eagles. The Oral Roberts pledge was just as much a dominating force as a right-side hitter as she was at setter, but head coach Clark Oberle said Bass’ biggest contributions came as a setter given the losses the team had to graduation. The junior put together one of the more well-rounded seasons in the area as she rolled up 744 assists, 102 service aces and 239 kills. She also rounded out the trio of Lady Eagles named to the TGCA Class 4A all-state team. Bass had a knack for not only extending possessions, but also catching opponents off guard with nifty, quick dumps over the net. She vaulted Argyle into the state tournament when her kill on match point split two Melissa defenders in the Class 4A Region II final.
NEWCOMER OF THE YEAR
Miles Baker Guyer, Fr., S Following in a long line of long-time setters at Guyer, the Lady Wildcats have another in the pipeline in Baker. The freshman burst on to the local scene and looks to be a lock to be a four-year starter, following in the footsteps of names like Madison Walford and Kaylee Fifer before her. Baker was thrust into the starting lineup before she even attended her first high school class and ended the year a seasoned veteran with three years still left to play. Baker helped quarterback the Lady Wildcats’ offensive system with an eye-popping 1,102 assists on the season. She also was good for the occasional surprise attack with a well-placed tip or dump to total 40 kills. Defensively, she was also someone head coach Addie Mack could count on, as she finished the year with 274 digs.
Emily Hill
COACH OF THE YEAR
Guyer, Jr., OH
Clark Oberle
Hill had several goals heading into her junior season at Guyer — both on a team level and as an individual. And for the most part, the 2014 season ended up being a pretty positive one for the outside hitter. Hill helped lead Guyer to a banner season as a member of the state’s largest classification, not only making its first postseason appearance at that level, but going three rounds deep and scoring an upset victory over perennial power Coppell. Hill was a big reason for the Lady Wildcats’ success. She led all of Class 6A in the Dallas-Fort Worth area with 660 kills, and finished just shy of leading the entire area, regardless of classification. But she wasn’t all about offensive flash. Hill was also a force defensively, compiling 358 digs to go with her 20 solo blocks and 65 block assists. If that wasn’t enough, she also chipped in 53 aces. Her performance helped her earn a nod on the Texas Girls Coaches Association Class 6A All-State team. Hill was a machine in the postseason as she averaged better than 21 kills per match in the Lady Wildcats’ three playoff games against Plano, Coppell and Southlake Carroll, which eliminated Guyer. Hill, who is committed to Central Arkansas, will be a huge part of the Lady Wildcats’ core returning next season.
Argyle There isn’t a coach in the area that has maintained a state title contending program quite like Oberle in Argyle. Oberle, the only head coach the Lady Eagles have ever known, made a slew of lineup changes in the early part of the District 9-4A schedule to combat the loss of several key players to injury. Most of those moves saw him put a ton of trust in less experienced girls — including a stretch where sophomore Halee Van Poppel was asked to play middle blocker in place of an ailing Katy Keenan. It paid off as Argyle not only dominated in district, but rolled up a 17-match win streak en route to the program’s first state final appearance. During that win streak, Argyle dropped just one set. Argyle made its second state tournament appearance in three years despite having just one senior on its roster.
ALL-AREA FIRST TEAM CO-DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Katy Keenan Argyle, Sr., MB Keenan was the All-Area MVP last year as a junior, and while she didn’t win the honor this year, it’s hard to imagine where Argyle may have finished up this season had she not been in the lineup. The Texas Tech signee had a whopping 116.5 blocks, 498 kills and 296 digs in 2014 and was one of three TGCA Class 4A all-state selections from Argyle despite missing time with multiple ankle injuries. In the state final against Decatur, Keenan was all over the court trying to solidify the Argyle defense against one of the better offenses in the state. Despite the loss in the program’s first state championship game, she finished with 15 kills, 12 digs and six block assists. Keenan was the only senior on the Argyle roster, leaving coach Clark Oberle with a huge hole to fill by next season. As Oberle put it after the loss to Decatur, “Five or six kids might replace a Katy Keenan.”
CO-DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Adrianna Nolly Lake Dallas, Jr., MB As soon as Nolly arrived prior to the 201415 school year, head coach Heather Van Noy knew she had a special talent at her disposal. Nolly’s performance on the court might have exceeded all expectations, though. After starring for Irving Nimitz a year ago, Nolly made a seamless transition to Lake Dallas and led the Lady Falcons back to the postseason after a hiatus. Lake Dallas ended up going three rounds deep before falling to power Aledo, but Nolly finished with some impressive numbers. The middle blocker earned TGCA Class 5A all-state honors after tallying 365 kills to go with her 121 blocks, a number which led the area. She gave Van Noy several options up front by shutting down opponents’ top hitters with her huge block in the middle. Nolly will return next season as Lake Dallas looks to improve on its year.
Jade Akins
Jennifer Chapman
Denton, Sr., OH As the top offensive threat for the Lady Broncos, Akins showed a knack for the big play. She led the team with 516 kills, while also acting as a reliable defensive anchor with 75 blocks and 448 digs, which was second on the team.
Lake Dallas, So., S Chapman put up numbers despite less playing time than several setters in the area. She racked up 783 assists in helping the Lady Falcons to the third round of the playoffs and led Dallas-Fort Worth 5A players with 120 aces.
Mallory McKnight
Hannah Schmitz
Guyer, Jr., MB McKnight helped provide a lethal 1-2 punch up top for head coach Addie Mack, as Guyer went to the third round of the 6A playoffs. The middle blocker tallied 342 kills to go with 21 solo blocks and 84 block assists.
Aubrey, Jr., MB Schmitz was Aubrey’s go-to player en route to a deep run in the postseason after finishing fourth in District 9-4A. Schmitz, Aubrey’s middle blocker, had a penchant for taking over big games. She finished with 390 kills, and 98 blocks.
Morgan Turkoly
Halee Van Poppel
Sanger, Sr., S/OH Turkoly was a true utility player for the Lady Indians as a setter and outside hitter. The TGCA Class 4A all-state senior led her team with 351 kills while ranking second with 506 assists. Her 65 aces also helped pace the Lady Indians.
Argyle, So., OH She played beyond her years in her first season on varsity and really hit her stride in the postseason. The aggressive sophomore chipped in with 275 kills and 207 digs. She stepped in at middle blocker while Katy Keenan was injured.
ALL-AREA SECOND TEAM Kelly Crow
Maddie DeGuire
Calvary, Sr., Lib. Crow finished her high school career by earning her third straight TAPPS all-state honor as a defensive stalwart for Calvary. The Lamar signee had 514 digs from her libero spot. She was a force at the service line with 97 aces.
Argyle, So., Lib. From the very first match of the season, DeGuire proved she was going to be a solid addition to Argyle’s starting lineup. The sophomore rolled up 448 digs while solidifying Argyle’s back line. She also added 51 aces.
Kenzie Dozier
Erin Kearney
Denton, Jr., OH Dozier was a nice complement to Akins as the Lady Broncos’ other outside hitter. Dozier showed plenty of offensive threat as she was second on the team with 392 kills, while also leading the team with 42 aces.
Sanger, Sr., S Kearney was a versatile threat for the Lady Indians, racking up 318 kills to go with 612 assists while splitting time between setter and right-side hitter. She was named the District 9-4A Setter of the Year and also had 58 blocks.
Sydney Lundgren
Megan Turner
Ryan, Jr., OH Lundgren was once again the bright spot for Ryan’s volleyball team, which missed the playoffs this season. The junior outside hitter continues to improve, though. She compiled 494 kills, 315 digs, 19 aces and 29.5 blocks.
Lake Dallas, Jr., OH Turner was part of a core group that will all return next season for the Lady Falcons. She played all six rotations for Lake Dallas and finished the year with a well-rounded 248 kills, 256 digs, 43 blocks and 32 aces.
Denton Record-Chronicle staff photos and courtesy photos