The numbers say girls youth volleyball continues to be one of the fastest-growing sports.
What the numbers don’t officially say is the level of talent in the sport continues to sprout through the roof.
Want proof? Check out the plethora of standouts on our 2016 VolleyballMag.com girls high school All-American teams presented by Lucky Dog Volleyball.
Keep in mind these awards only take into consideration high school performance during the 2016 season. We’ll showcase players’ overall body of work in early February with the release of the 2017 VolleyballMag.com Girl’ Fab 50 list, the oldest and most established ranking of its kind in the country.
First Team
Candice Denny, 6-2, MB, Sr., Archbishop Mitty (San Jose, Calif.) Denny, player of the year in the West Catholic Athletic League, helped perennial national power Mitty win the first CIF Open Division state title. She finished with 312 kills, hit .392 and had 111 total blocks.
Paige Hammons, 6-2, OH, Sr., Sacred Heart (Louisville, Ky.) The MVP of the Louisville and Nike Phoenix tournaments, Kentucky’s 2016 Miss Volleyball winner, had 606 kills, had 280 digs and hit .369 for a Sacred Heart team that won a state title.
Brooke Heyne, 5-11, OH, Sr., Skutt Catholic (Omaha, Neb.) Heyne, a member of the Nebraska Super State team, hit .451 and had 474 kills for unbeaten Skutt, which won a Class B state title for a second straight year.
Madison Lilley, 5-11, S, Sr., Blue Valley West (Overland Park, Kan.) Lilley, the Kansas City Metro Area player of the year, averaged 9.6 assists per set in helping Blue Valley West reach the Kansas Class 6A state-championship match.
Meghan McClure, 6-0, OH, Sr., Santa Margarita (Rancho Santa Margarita, Calif.) McClure, who posted 452 kills, 224 digs, hit .304 and was named the Orange County Register’s player of the year, was a key component to a Santa Margarita team that advanced to the CIF Open Division state-championship match.
Kylee McLaughlin, 5-9, S, Sr., Hebron (Carrollton, Texas) McLaughlin was named the Dallas Morning News player of the year after recording 1,618 assists and 419 digs while helping Hebron win its second straight 6A state title.
Jenny Mosser, 5-11, OH, Sr., Lakeville (Minn.) South Mosser, named the Pioneer Press East Metro player of the year on two occasions, averaged 7.1 kills per set (601 total kills) and 3.4 digs per set for a Lakeville South team that won 30 matches. She also set a state record for kills in a match this season with 49.
Charley Niego, 6-0, OH, Jr., Mother McAuley (Chicago, Ill.) Niego’s 498 kills and 473 digs helped McAuley win the Illinois Class 4A state title and the 2016 Lucky Dog Volleyball/VolleyballMag.com girls high school team of the year honor.
Meredith Norris, 6-3, OH, Sr., Corunna (Mich.) Norris was the recipient of the 2016 Michigan’s Miss Volleyball had 839 kills (6.3 per set) and 538 digs for a Corunna team that won 37 contests. She finished her career with 3,093 kills.
Dana Rettke, 6-8, OH, Sr., Riverside (Ill.)-Brookfield Rettke was named the Illinois player of the year as part of the well-respected Champaign News-Gazette’s 35th all-state volleyball presentation. Rettke finished the season with 516 kills and 247 digs as a six-rotation outside. She helped R-B reach a Class 4A supersectional match (state quarterfinals).
Stephanie Samedy, 6-2, RS, Sr., East Ridge (Clermont, Fla.) Samedy won a host of state honors, including being named Florida’s Miss Volleyball, after averaging 6.2 kills per set (442 total kills) to go with 196 digs ad a .385 hitting percentage.
Lexi Sun, 6-3, OH, Sr., Santa Fe Christian (Solana Beach, Calif.) Sun, the 2016 Lucky Dog Volleyball/VolleyballMag.com girls’ high school player of the year, had 630 kills to help Santa Fe Christian win a CIF San Diego section title and advance to the semifinals of the CIF Open Division state tournament.
Second Team
Jayme Cox, 5-4, Libero,, Sr., St. Ursula Academy (Toledo, Ohio)
Thayer Hall, 6-2, OH, Jr., Dorman (Roebuck, S.C.)
Sydney Hilley, 5-11, S, Sr., Champlin Park (Minn.)
Grace Loberg, 6-2, OH, Sr., Geneva (Ill.)
Brooke Nuneviller, 5-11, OH-Libero, Jr., Corona del Sol (Tempe, Ariz.)
Erin O’Leary, 5-10, S, Jr., Novi (Mich)
Brie Orr, 5-10, OH, Sr., Eagan (Minn.)
Makena Patterson, 6-4, MB, Xavier College Prep (Phoenix, Ariz.)
Nia Robinson, 6-2, OH, Sr., Cathedral (Indianapolis, Ind.)
Shannon Scully, 6-2, OH, Sr., Mater Dei (Santa Ana, Calif.)
Emerson Solano, 5-8, Sr., OH, Amarillo (Texas)
Mariah Whalen, 6-1, MB, Sr., Newman (Wausau, Wis.)
Honorable Mention
Taylen Ballard, 6-2, OH, Sr., Clovis (Calif.)
Taylor Bannister, 6-6, MB, Sr., Fort Bend Christian (Sugar Land, Texas)
Dani Barton, 6-0, OH, Sr., Brighton (Salt Lake City, Utah)
Brook Bauer, 6-0, OH, Sr., St. Thomas Aquinas (Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.)
Annie Benbow, 5-3, Jr., Libero, Hebron (Carrollton, Texas)
Britt Bommer, 6-0, S, Sr. Mira Costa (Manhattan Beach, Calif.)
Brooke Botkin, 6-4, OH-S, Sr., Pearland (Texas)
Kelsey Campeau, 5-4, Libero-DS, Jr., Mater Dei (Santa Ana, Calif.)
Devon Chang, 5-11, S, Jr., Santa Margarita (Rancho Santa Margarita, Calif.)
Raigen Cianciulli, 5-5, Libero, Sr., Oak Ridge (Conroe, Texas)
Gabby Curry, 5-8, Libero, OH, Sr., Buford (Ga.)
Morgan Davis, 6-4, MB, Sr., Bishop Moore (Orlando, Fla.)
Samantha Drechsel, 6-3, OH, S-RS, Sr., Cedar Park Christian (Bothwell, Wash.)
Kate Formico, 5-9, Libero, Sr., Archbishop Mitty (San Jose, Calif.)
Maddie Goings, 5-11, OH, Sr., (Aledo, Texas)
Haley Hallgren, 5-11, OH-Libero, Sr., Carroll (Southlake, Texas)
Nicklin Hames, 5-11, RS-S, Jr., Webb (Knoxville, Tenn.)
Lexie Hamilton, 5-8, DS, Sr., Assumption (Louisville, Ken.)
Ellie Holzman, 6-2, MB, Soph., Mount Carmel (New Orleans, La.)
Garrett Joiner, 6-2, OH, Jr., Brentwood (Tenn.)
Taryn Knuth, 6-4, MB, Sr., Johnston (Iowa)
Mackenzie May, 6-3, OH, Sr., Walhert (Dubuque, Iowa)
Chesney McClellan, 6-4, MB, Sr., Maryville (Tenn.)
Leketor Member-Meneh, 5-9, OH, Sr., Lutheran South (St. Louis, Mo.)
Sarah Nielsen, 6-0, S, Sr., Benet Academy (Lisle, Ill.)
Elena Ogilvie, 5-9, OH, Fresh., Iolani School (Honolulu, Hawaii)
Tyanna Omazic, 6-3, MB, Sr., Northwest (Olathe, Kan.)
Ella May Powell, 6-0, S, Jr., Fayetteville (Ark.)
Yosianna Pressley, 6-0, OH, Sr., Cypress Falls (Houston, Texas)
Elizabeth Reich, 6-1, MB, Sr., Lewis-Palmer (Monument, Colo.)
Emma Reilly, 5-7, Libero, Sr., Mother McAuley (Chicago, Ill.)
Allison Schomers, 5-11, S, Sr., Skutt Catholic (Omaha, Neb.)
Ashley Shook, 6-2, S, Sr., Plainfield (Ill.) Central
Sammy Slater, 5-11, OH, Sr., Ventura (Calif.)
Sami Slaughter, 6-2, MB, Sr., Harrisburg (S.D.)
Alea Steigerwald, 5-8, Sr., S, Penfield (N.Y.)
Sarah Swanson, 6-1, MB, Sr., Elkhorn (Neb.) South
Jazz Sweet, 6-3, RS, Sr., Shawnee Heights (Tecumesh, Kan.)
Callie Williams, 5-8, S, Sr., Midway (Waco, Texas)
Lauren Witte, 6-2, MB, Sr., Lake Catholic (Mentor, Ohio)
Based in Greensboro, N.C., Lucky Dog Volleyball retails volleyball equipment and apparel and hosts volleyball events, such as tournaments and recruiting showcases. The company also offers annual sales events in its Greensboro warehouse and at a temporary location in Denver. For more on Lucky Dog Volleyball, visit www.luckydogvolleyball.com.
