November 16, 2023

Once the high school schedule officially wraps up, we’ll start releasing our Player of the Year candidates for the 2024-2027 classes. It’s likely you’ll see many of the names below listed as our Freshman of the Year candidates for the 2023 season. What all 13 ninth-graders below have in common is that their respective seasons are completed and all made tremendous impacts towards their team success. Lauren Garcia S/RS Reagan TX: Garcia – a 3-star recruit – had a big freshman season in helping the Rattlers reach the regional quarterfinals. She finished off the year second in kills with 428, averaging 3.2 per set. She also led the team in assists with 798, averaging 6.0 per set. She was third in digs with 375 and first in aces with 54. She recorded a season-high 17 kills in a September victory over Johnson. She twice reached a season-best 33 assists. The first came in a victory against Churchill in September. The next was in an October bi-district triumph over New Braunfels. Mallory Wandel OH Rockford MI: The Rams’ run came to an end in the Division 1 regional final. Still, it was a tremendous rookie campaign for Wandel. She was second in kills with 373. She averaged 2.8 per set. One of her best matches came in August when she had 13 kills and hit .647. She had a season-high 17 kills in a September victory over Caledonia. Louise Neuhart OH Virginia Academy VA: Neuhart played a key role in the Patriots making it to the Virginia Division 2 state semifinals. The freshman outside led the offense with 366 kills. She averaged 2.9 per set and hit .290. Neuhart twice registered a season-high 17 kills. One was in a victory against St. Anne’s-Belfield as she hit .412. The other time came against Chelsea Academy, when she hit .406. McKenna McIntosh OH St. Mary’s CA: McIntosh – a 3-star recruit – made an immediate impact for the Rams, who captured the CIF Sac-Joaquin Division 1 championship and qualifed for the CA Open Division state playoffs, where they fell to Foothill in the Round of 16. McIntosh led the attack with 362 kills. She averaged 4.5 kills per set and hit .350. She was also second in both digs (179) and blocks (22) and third in aces (48). McIntosh had a couple of her biggest outings late in the season. It included dropping 17 kills and hitting .308 as St. Mary’s beat Rocklin in the sectional final. In the sectional semis, she had a season-best 20 kills and hit .462. Marissa Jones S Woodward Academy GA: Jones – a 5-star recruit – guided Woodward Academy to the Georgia 6A state quarterfinals before falling to eventual champ Alpharetta. She dished out 702 assists, averaging 7.5 per set. She also finished first in blocks with 71 and third in digs with 239. She twice recorded a season-best 35 assists, as well as a season-high seven blocks in an August loss to McIntosh. Lauren Forelli OH Liberty AZ: With Forelli leading the charge on offense, the Lions advanced to the Arizona 6A state quarterfinals this fall. The 4-star recruit sent down a team-leading 250 kills. In her best match of the season, she put away a high of 21 kills and hit .439 in a five-set victory against Pinnacle in October. Kendall Omoruyi MB Sunnyslope AZ: The Vikings also made it to the Arizona 6A state quarterfinals. A 5-star recruit, Omoruyi was an important factor in the middle. She ended third in kills with 171, averaging 2.3 per set. She made a bigger impact defensively, sending down 83 blocks and averaging 1.1 per set. She amassed a season-high 14 kills in a five-set victory against Mountain Ridge in September. She also twice had a season-high nine blocks. It came against Lake Highlands Prep FL and Bishop’s CA during the Nike TOC Southwest tournament. Calli LeFevre OH Marian MI: LeFevre’s role in helping the Mustangs reach the Michigan Division 1 state quarterfinals cannot be overlooked. The 3-star outside wrapped up the year second in kills with 338. She averaged 2.7 per set and was third in digs with 300, averaging 2.4. She tallied a season-high 15 kills in a five-set loss to Lake Orion in September. Amelie Pankonin OH River Falls WI: The Wildcats advanced to the Wisconsin Division 1 state quarterfinals before falling to eventual champion and nationally-ranked Divine Savior Holy Angels. Pankonin played a vital part on offense, finishing the year second in kills with 322. That was one short of tying for the team lead. She averaged 3.4 per set. Four times she totaled 20 kills or more, including a season-high 22 and hitting .388 in a four-set victory over Eau Claire Memorial in the second round of state. Ellyson Randolph OH Reagan NC: The Raiders suffered their only loss of the fall in the North Carolina 4A state semifinals when Cox Mill prevailed in four sets. It was quite the season for the 6-2 Randolph, who led the team in kills. She put down 311 and averaged 3.2 per set while hitting .314. She notched a season-high 15 kills in a four-set victory against East Surry in October. Caroline Ward OH Tri-West Hendricks IN: Ward – a 5-star talent – played a crucial role in the Bruins finishing on top of the Indiana 3A state playoffs. She finished second in kills with 312, averaging 2.8 per set. She was also third in blocks with 45. She had 19 kills and hit .640 in a victory against Westner Boone in mid-October. She set her season high of 24 kills while hitting .439 in a five-set triumph over Center Grove in early October. Addyson Avery MB Briarcrest Christian TN: The Saints came out on top of the Tennessee Division 2AA state playoffs. Avery contributed in a big way out of the middle. She finished fourth in kills with 166, averaging 1.6 per set and hitting .352, and led the way blocking with 139. That