Last week we released our Senior Player of the Candidates. This week, we present our Senior Player of the Year Finalists. The award winner is set to be announced the following week. We began with roughly 120 candidates and it should make sense the field gets much more defined as we narrowed it down to under 20 finalists.
Here’s what we are looking for in selecting our finalists and ultimately Player of the Year award. It contains three parts that are subjective by nature. One part measures the overall talent of a player. The next part takes into consideration the player’s overall impact on their team. The third part centers around the team’s overall success.
In terms of Player of the Year finalists, it’s virtually impossible to make the list unless the player’s team won a state championship. It’s a big country with lots of talented players and at the same time we wanted to introduce a factor that includes the team element. Winning a state title is prestigious accomplishment that is the pinnacle of every program around the country.
A player’s impact on their team can be subjective but if a player didn’t lead their team in their respective category – i.e. assists for setters, kills for setters or blocks for middles – then it’s reasonable to suggest their contributions weren’t as impactful as someone else’s on the team.
Lastly, when it comes to a player’s overall talent, while it’s subjective as well, most can agree on who the top players are. Add all three together and these are what we are looking for.
For example, let’s look at Chloe Chicoine from McCutcheon. No one is questioning Chicoine as a player. She’s a clear-cut 5-star recruit heading to Purdue. Her talent and her impact on the team was enough to get her on our candidates list. However, that McCutcheon lost in the quarterfinals of the Indiana state playoffs is the reason she’s not listed as a finalist.
Some might argue she should still be considered as a finalist because she’s that good. While that is understood, we know based on our metrics she would not win our Player of the Year award so we truly tried to limit our finalists to players who could actually win the award. It’s also the reason you won’t see a player like Harper Murray (Skyline MI) or Jordyn Harvey (Bountiful UT) on the list. They are two more top-tier, 5-star recruits who were candidates but not finalists.
Finally, we introduce our 2022 High School Senior of the Year Finalists (in alphabetical order).
Ava Sarafa SR S Marian MI: The 4-star Kentucky signee was a huge reason Marian was part of the national championship conversation when the season kicked off. The Mustangs certainly had the ingredients for a spectacular season, one in which Marian came up one victory shy of going undefeated as they finished 49-1 after capturing the Michigan Division 1 state championship. Sarafa is a deceptive setter with the ability to dish from pin-to-pin effortlessly and she racked up 1,359 assists on the year, averaging 11.0 per set. With Marian finishing No. 5 in our final Top 50 national rankings, Sarafa is a clear-cut finalist who has definite case for winning Player of the Year, as she’s a fantastic player who had a tremendous impact on a really successful team.
Avery Hobson SR OH Hamilton Southeastern IN: Much like Marian, the Royals were among the early-season contenders for the national championship as they boasted a talented roster that included Hobson, a 3-star Duquesne recruit. HSE had a successful season, going 34-1 and claiming the Indiana Class 4A state championship. The Royals avenged their only loss of the year by beating McCutcheon in the quarterfinals. Hobson left her mark to the tune of a team-high 446 kills, averaging 4.1 per set. She was also second in hitting percentage at .349 and second in digs with 278. No question Hobson’s contributions combined with overall success has her in the running for Player of the Year.
Betsy Goodenow SR RS Aquinas KS: The Kansas 5A state champs went 40-3 overall. The Saints lost twice to 6A champs Washburn Rural and once to Liberty North MO. They also own victories over Missouri Class 5 champ Lafayette and Nebraska Class B champ Skutt Catholic. Goodenow – a Yale commit – was an impactful presence, leading the team in kills (386) and kills per set (3.7), as well as finishing second in hitting percentage at .352 and third in blocks.
Brook Bultema SR MB Ursuline Academy OH: The 5-star Kentucky commit without a doubt left her mark on the Lions’ season. It was a successful one as Ursuline (25-3) captured the Ohio Division 1 state championship. Bultema was a force both offensively and defensively. She powered the offense with a team-high 376 kills, averaging 4.2 per set. On the other side, Bultema led the roster with 107 blocks, averaging 1.2 per set. Given Ursuline’s overall season and Bultema’s contributions, she’s a well-deserved finalist.
Brooklyn DeLeye SR OH Washburn Rural KS: What a dominant season for the Blues, who took home the Kansas 6A state championship and finishing the season 45-1. The lone setback came against eventual 5A runner-up St. James Academy in the second match of the season. It was also the most victories in program history. DeLeye – another 4-star Kentucky commit – was a big-time outside who gave the Blues a reliable and consistent scoring threat.
Caroline Jurevicius SR OH Notre Dame-Cathedral Latin OH: Jurevicius is in a different position than our other finalists so far in that her team was not nationally ranked. However, the Lions did capture the Ohio Division 2 state championship and we all know the caliber of player the 5-star Nebraska commit is. Though she’s not one of the favorites, she still qualified as a finalist because of a state title and dominant year, one in which she recorded 445 kills and averaged 4.9 per set while hitting .360. She was also second in digs and aces and third in blocks.
Cassidy Hartman SR OH Iowa City Liberty IO: A Northern Iowa commit, Hartman was instrumental in Liberty winning Iowa’s Class 5A state championship. Her production and impact were obvious. She pounded out a team-leading 545 kills, averaging 5.0 per set. She hit .353 in the process. She was also second in digs with 429, averaging 4.0 per set, and led the team in blocks with 41.
Jalyn Stout SR S/RS Santa Fe FL: Stout – who is committed to Coastal Carolina – turned in a monster year for Florida’s 7A state champions. She was featured heavily in the attack, racking up 563 total kills. She averaged an incredible 6.1 per set! On top of that, she hit .433. Other contributions included finishing second in assists at 368 and third in digs with 245.
Julia Blyashov SR OH Cathedral Catholic CA: Given that Cathedral Catholic was the top-ranked team all season and Blyashov’s talent and contributions to our national champions, she’s been among the favorites for Senior Player of the Year from the get-go. She’s already been named MaxPrep’s National Player of the Year. The Stanford commit’s length and ability to score front and back row made her a major force for opponents to deal with. There is an interesting twist to her season though when she sprained her ankle and missed the team’s four state playoff matches on the way to the California Open Division title.
Jurnee Robinson SR OH Mauldin SC: With Mauldin bringing home the South Carolina Class 5A state championship, Robinson was an easy candidate and now finalist for Senior Player of the Year. She’s a 5-star LSU commit who had a gigantic impact on her team’s success this fall. She tallied 538 kills, which was nearly 250 more than the next player. She averaged 5.3 per set and hit a mind-blowing .446. She also ended the year second in digs (324), blocks (51) and aces (51).
Kendal Murphy SR OH Horizon AZ: A 4-star Baylor recruit, Murphy was steady and consistent throughout the year as the Huskies finished with Arizona’s 5A state championship. Murphy led the team in total kills with 459, averaging 3.7 per set, and hitting .319. She was also the team’s dig leader with 327 and led the team in aces as well with 86.
Kennedy Phelan SR S Fayetteville AR: Phelan – a 5-star recruit committed to Florida State – is a strong finalist with the season she put together. Fayetteville claimed Arkansas’ 6A state title plus took third place at the prestigious Durango Fall Classic in Las Vegas while Phelan contributed in just about every way. She’s a terrific setter who amassed 977 assists, averaging 9.5 per set. She also made a difference from the service line, totaling 80 aces. Additionally, she finished fourth on the team in kills with 217, averaging 2.1 per set, and third in digs with 227, averaging 2.2 per set.
Kierstyn Barton SR OH Corona del Sol AZ: The Aztecs proved they were the best in Arizona’s 6A class as they finished on top of the state playoffs. Barton – a Washington commit – had her fingerprints all over the success. She has a big-time arm and hits a heavy ball as she totaled 467 kills, averaging 4.1 per set. She hit .310 and was also third in digs with 373, averaging 3.3 per set.
Mia Tuman SR S North Allegheny PA: The Tigers held it down by winning Pennsylvania’s Class 4A state championship with Tuman – a 4-star Ohio State recruit – at the helm. She’s a smooth setter capable of keeping her team in system. Given her level of play and the Tigers success this season, Tuman makes the final cut.
Milan Rex SR OH Alexandria City VA: With Rex leading the charge the Titans (32-2) captured Virginia’s Class 6 state championship. Alexandria City’s two losses both came against Robinson, an opponent the Titans also beat twice later in the season, including the playoffs. The 6-3 UCSB commit – who can also set – was a fundamental piece in the attack as she stacked up 582 kills while averaging 6.5 per set. She also hit .361 and led the team in digs with 315.
Morgan Burke SR OH Skutt Catholic NE: There’s an argument to be made that Skutt Catholic played the toughest schedule in the country. If not, most definitely one of the toughest without question. Not only did the Skyhawks (32-10) – who captured Nebraska’s Class B state championship – face the toughest teams in its home state, they traveled to Florida for the Nike TOC Southeast tournament where they defeated eventual Georgia 7A state champion Buford. The following weekend Skutt fell to eventual Kansas 5A state champ Aquinas while beating eventual Missouri Class 5 state champ Lafayette. Skutt also fell to Aquinas later in the season, as well as to eventual Illinois 4A state champ Mother McAuley at the Asics Challenge. At the same event, Skutt beat eventual Wisconsin Division 1 champ Divine Savior Holy Angels. Now toss in Burke’s leading role in that and she’s a clear-cut finalist. The Michigan recruit ended the year with 505 kills, averaging 4.1 per set and hitting .316. She also was second in digs with 430, averaging 3.5 per set.
Nayeli Gonzalez SR MB Cornerstone Christian TX: Gonzalez – a 4-star Iowa State commit – carries as strong an argument as anyone listed. We mentioned Skutt Catholic’s strength of schedule above. The same goes for Cornerstone, which captured the Volleypalooza and Nike TOC Southwest tournament titles while taking second at Nike TOC Southeast. The Warriors defeated both Texas 6A state champ Dripping Springs and TAPPS 5A state champ Prestonwood Christian, whose only defeat all year came to Cornerstone. Not only was Gonzalez a dominant centerpiece, she changed positions and moved from outside to middle. Where she was a six-rotation outside in club, she was now playing across the front and subbing out. It was an amazing sacrifice but she still led the team in kills with 573, averaging 4.4 per set and hitting .377. She tied for first in blocks with 117, averaging 0.9 per set.
Sydney Nolan SR OH Notre Dame Academy KY: With a program like Assumption in the state of Kentucky, winning the state championship is always a difficult task for another program to achieve. This season the Pandas were tops and couldn’t have done it without the play of Nolan – a North Carolina recruit. She had a huge year, leading the team in kills with 485. She averaged 4.1 per set.
