Our Libero of the Year Finalists is a bit different than our other Player of the Year awards in that freshmen-seniors are all grouped together and taken under consideration instead of being broken down by class. It made it a challenging list to make, one that was cut down from 88 to our 18 finalists below.
The criteria for winning the award is steep and ultimately not many qualified. To be a finalist the libero had to lead their respective team in digs. Another determining factor was overall team success. Given the number of players listed as candidates, to be chosen as a finalist their respective team needed to win a state championship or the equivalent of given some programs can be independent. It’s a tough standard, one that eliminated plenty of talented candidates who had tremendous seasons for their respective schools.
We’ll select the eventual Libero of the Year winner from the list of finalists below, listed in alphabetical order.
Bella Lee SR Plant FL: A 3-star Florida commit, Lee anchored the defense for Plant, which captured the Florida 7A state championship. She played in every set this fall, totaling 446 digs and averaging 5.6 per set. She posted a season-high 41 digs in a five-set victory over Berkeley Prep in late September. Another huge effort came when she put up 28 digs – her second-highest output – in the state finals against Winter Park.
Cali Reece SO Grand Oaks TX: On a team loaded offensively, it was Reece who brought an edge defensively. The sophomore delivered throughout the year, one that culminated with Grand Oaks winning the Texas 6A state championship. She recorded 444 digs, averaging 3.4 per set. Her season-high 20 digs came in a sweep of College Park in late September. She also had 18 saves in a five-set victory over Prosper in the state semifinals.
Dakota Henry SR Kings OH: It was a dream season for Kings, which claimed the Ohio Division 1 state title. The Knights had a balanced roster, including Henry patrolling the back row. The senior tallied 352 digs, averaging 3.5 per set. She had four matches with at least 20 digs, including a season-best 27 in a five-set victory over Turpin in mid-October.
Gillian Pitts JR Prestonwood Christian TX: A 5-star Houston commit, Pitts is an easy choice for Libero of the Year Finalist. She brought a defensive edge to a stacked lineup. She registered 343 digs, averaging 3.6 per set, for the Lions, who captured the TAPPS 6A state championship.
Graceyn Shepard FR Middle Creek NC: One of two freshmen to make the cut, Shepard came up large this fall as Middle Creek brought home its first-ever North Carolina 4A state title. She paced the defense with 270 digs, averaging 3.1 per set. She had a season-high 20 digs in a five-set victory over Apex in mid-September.
Jadyn Petersen SR Dike-New Hartford IA: The Wolverines went 50-0 and claimed the Iowa 2A state title. Petersen was a crucial piece of the team’s success. She made 335 digs. She averaged 3.0 per set. Her season-high 19 digs came in a sweep of Denver in early November. Petersen was also the ace leader with 61.
Julia Oster JR Lake Catholic OH: A 3-star Colgate commit, Oster played a vital role in Lake Catholic going 29-0 and earning the Ohio Division 3 state title. She totaled 285 digs, averaging 3.8 per set. She had a season-high 22 digs in the state quarterfinals against Crestview. She made 17 saves in the state final against Archbishop McNicholas. She was also a force at the service line, leading the way by a big margin with 65 aces.
Kailey Leonard FR Alpharetta GA: With the Raiders taking the Georgia 6A state title, Leonard made her presence known. Despite playing in 85 of the team’s 110 sets, she still led the roster in digs with 308. She averaged 3.6 per set. Twice she had a season-best 21 digs, with both times coming in mid-September.
Keri Leimbach JR Lincoln Lutheran NE: A 4-star Nebraska commit, Leimbach was a wall in the back row as the Warriors earned the Nebraska Class C2 state title. She put up more than 250 saves than the next closest leader, finishing the year with 550 digs and averaging 5.6 per set. She also led the team in aces with 55. She was clutch down the stretch, turning in her three best outputs in the state playoffs. She had 25 digs in the quarterfinals, 35 in the semis, then a season-best 38 in the state final against Clarkson/Leigh.
Kinsley Singleton SR O’Connor AZ: The Eagles had an outstanding season, going 34-1 and claiming the Arizona 6A state championship. The Nevada commit amassed 305 digs, averaging 3.3 per set. She saved her best for last, posting a season-high 20 digs in the state finals against Perry.
Kristen Simon JR Assumption KY: Simon was tenacious in the back row in helping Assumption capture the Kentucky state championship. The 5-star Wisconsin commit collected 497 digs, averaging 4.3 per set. Five times she finished with 20 digs or more. It included a season-best 26 against Sacred Heart in late October.
Malyssa Cawa SR Mater Dei CA: With Mater Dei winning the California Open Division state championship and finishing as the vballrecruiter.com National Champion, Cawa is a well-deserved finalist. The 3-star Stanford commit had a monster campaign, racking up 545 digs and averaging 4.2 per set. She made a season-high 34 saves in the state quarterfinal victory over Huntington Beach. She also had two other efforts of 20 digs or more.
Mattea Casale JR Carrollwood Day FL: Casale showed what she can bring to the defensive side in helping the Patriots to the Florida 3A state title and a 31-2 mark. She led the way with 345 digs, averaging 3.8 per set. The 3-star Purdue commit had a season-high 26 digs in a five-set victory over Berkeley Prep in late October.
McKenna Brand SR Lovejoy TX: Brand – a 4-star UCONN commit – was a big-time contributor on the defensive side as the Leopards capped their season with the Texas 5A state championship. She compiled 684 digs, averaging 5.1 per set. She had three matches of 30 digs or more, including a season-best 35 in the state quarterfinals against Reedy.
Olivia Durst JR Divine Savior Holy Angels WI: Durst handled her defensive responsibility at high level, helping DSHA repeat as the Wisconsin Division 1 state champion. The 4-star Michigan State commit recorded 502 digs, averaging 4.1 per set. She put up her best stat with a season-high 23 saves in the state final against Oconomowoc. She also led the team in aces with 72.
Paisley Douglas SR Skutt Catholic NE: Opponents struggled to get balls down on Douglas as Skutt Catholic took home its ninth straight Nebraska Class B state championship. The 4-star USC commit owned the back row, registering 616 digs. That’s nearly 350 more than the next leader as she averaged 5.8 per set. She had five matches with at least 20 digs, one more with 38 and a season-high 47 in a four-set victory over Waverly in the state quarterfinals. She also had 28 in the state semifinals and 22 in the state final against Norris.
Samantha Falk SR Mother McAuley IL: Falk took over the libero position this fall and did a fantastic job as Mother McAuley repeated as the Illinois 4A state champ. Falk – a 3-star Loyola-Chicago commit – scooped up 603 digs. That was almost 300 more than the next closest leader. She averaged 6.3 per set while also coming in second in aces. She had seven contests of 20 or more digs, plus two of 30 or more. One was a season-best 32 in a five-set loss to Sacred Heart in early September.
Sophie Ledbetter SR Hamilton Southeastern IN: A Ball State commit, Ledbetter was part of a strong HSE lineup that captured the Indiana 4A state title for the second year in a row. She’s another who dominated, putting up 434 digs. That’s nearly 250 more than the next leader. She averaged 4.3 per set. She had seven outings of at least 20 digs or more, including twice matching a season high of 24.
