December 1, 2023

We’ve spent the week releasing our Senior, Junior, Sophomore and Freshman Player of the Year Candidates. We finish with our Libero of the Year Candidates. Similar to our Player of the Year Candidates, there are determining factors used in order to provide parameters to choosing the players below. We looked at the talent level of the player, their impact on the team and overall team success. The first is very subjective, because not everyone will agree on a player’s talent level. Judging a player’s impact on a team meant the player needed to spend the majority of the season playing libero as well as leading the team in digs. Overall team success is judged based on how a team fared in their respective state playoff. Depending on the competitiveness of the state and division, teams needed to reach at least the Round of 16 or quarterfinals to be considered. We’ll next narrow down the list of candidates to the Libero of the Year Finalists, where we’ll highlight each player and the reason why they are up for the Libero of the Year award before eventually name the winner. LIBERO OF THE YEAR CANDIDATES (alphabetical order) Abby Freund SR Incarnate Word Academy MOAddison Applegate JR Yorktown INAddison Pollock JR Ransom Everglades FLAli Strange FR Archbishop McNicholas OHAly Kirkhoff SR Roncalli INAmelia Moser SR Lafayette MOAnahi Alvarado SR Tomball Memorial TXAngela Berger SO Bellevue West NEAniya Warren JR Benet Academy ILAnna Pelds SO Waukee Northwest IA *** Annalise Grant JR Dowling Catholic IAAshlee Gnau SR Northville MIAvery Anders SR St. Joseph Academy OHAvery Power JR Brandon MIBella Lee SR Plant FLBrie Habeeb JR Gilmour Academy OHBrookelyn Hatton JR Blue Valley West KSCali Reece SO Grand Oaks TXCorinne Schwindt SO Mill Valley KS *** Dakota Henry SR Kings OHDayla Ortiz SR Pope GADevin Dzienny JR St. Ursula Academy OHElla Vogel SR Chaparral COEmily Mathis SR Lee Summit West MOEmily Zgonc SO Hamilton WIEmma Adkins SO Mercy McAuley OHEmma Cugino SO Olentangy Orange OHEmma Ortiz SR Winter Park FLErin Clark SO Corona del Sol AZ *** Evie Huang SO Flint Hill VAFaith Frame SR Papillion-La Vista NEFelicia Wu SR Blue Valley North KSGabby Emch SO Pace Academy GAGillian Pitts JR Prestonwood Christian TXGraceyn Shepard FR Middle Creek NCHailey Green SR North Branch MIHannah Nicholson SO North Cobb GAIzzy Mahaffey JR Queen Creek AZJadyn Petersen SR Dike-New Hartford IA *** Jannelize Perez JR Lake Highlands Prep FLJillian Collins JR Mercy MIJulia Grace JR Notre Dame Academy KYJulia Oster JR Lake Catholic OHKailey Leonard FR Alpharetta GAKaitlyn Vogel FR Foothill CAKate Stewart JR Chiles FLKeri Leimbach JR Lincoln Lutheran NEKiley Gallagher SR Clarkston MIKinley Wilhelm JR Seaman KS *** Kinsley Singleton SR O’Connor AZKristen Simon JR Assumption KYLauren Lynch JR Sierra Canyon CALexi Kedvesh SO Carmel INLily Hayes JR Berkeley Prep FLLiv Foye JR Huntington Beach CALuca Bredenberg SR Southwest Christian MNMadi Kraft SO Eagan MNMagdalene Finnegan JR Cinco Ranch TXMalyssa Cawa SR Mater Dei CA *** Margaux Godfrey FR Lovett GAMary Katherine Whitehurst SO Bayside Academy ALMary McAmis SO Jupiter FLMary Nahinu JR Skyridge UTMary Schirpik JR Rouse TXMattea Casale JR Carrollwood Day FLMaya Evens JR Cathedral Catholic CAMcKenna Brand SR Lovejoy TXMegan Chapman SO Seven Lakes TXMichael Torkaman SR Valley Christian CA *** Molly Labreche JR Palos Verdes CAMya Bolton SR St. James Academy KYMya Lei-Butters SO Ankeny Centennial IANicole Macalintal JR Archbishop Mitty CAOlivia Durst JR Divine Savior Holy Angels WIOlivia Mauch SR Bennington NEPaisley Douglas SR Skutt Catholic NERuby McDermott SO Blessed Trinity GASamantha Falk SR Mother McAuley ILSarah Mendoza JR Colleyville Heritage TX *** Siena Ebert FR Hockaday TXSophia Bond SR St. Thomas Aquinas KSSophie Ledbetter SR Hamilton Southeastern INSydney Black JR Fulshear TXTatum Thompson SR Bishop Gorman NVTaylor Deckert JR Mira Costa CATrinidy Tien SR Lone Peak UTWhitney Wallace SR St. Francis/Mountain CA