The THS volleyball team wrapped up a perfect GNC season a few weeks ago-perfect as in not only 12-0 in matches, but 36-0 in sets-so it’s no surprise that the Hatchets dominated the All-GNC team with seven of the 25 selections.
“I’m happy that the other coaches in the conference recognized these girls as they worked really hard to become conference champions this season,” THS coach Amanda Charles said. “Giving them this recognition is a testament to how hard they working each day in practice and the offseason to become better athletes.”
Tomahawk junior Anna Nyberg received Player of the Year status, while racking up her second unanimous First Team honor. She led the league in kills per set (game) at 4.9, and kill % at .527. Anna ranked 4th in aces (29, .8/set), and 10th in digs (87, 2.4/set).
“Anna was a force on the court this season,” Charles said. “She plays all the way around for us and hands-down earned that Player of the Year award. She was more confident this season and didn’t get rattled when things weren’t going our way. She is definitely one of the best players in the area and I’m excited that she will be with us again next season.”
Sophomore setter Becca Doughty gave THS two of the three unanimous First Team picks, improving on her Second Team level of last year. She paced the GNC with 9.3 assists/set (335 total) and was 3rd in aces with 30 (.8/set).
“Becca was our setter which is comparable to a quarterback,” Charles said. “She ran our offense and made smart decisions on where to place the ball so our hitters could get a kill. She was more comfortable running the offense and seemed to be more aggressive when attacking. Becca does a good job of taking an okay pass and making it a great set.”
A trio of girls were picked for the Second Team, seniors Alex DuPlayee and Hanna Doughty and sophomore Hanna Meyer. DuPlayee rated 2nd in aces with 31 (.9/set), 5th in attack % at .282, 9th in digs with 2.6/set and 10th in kills with 1.8/set (63 total).
H. Doughty – who moved up from Honorable Mention last year – was 3rd in blocks with .9/set, and her kill % of .462 (on 46 total kills) would have been 3rd if she had enough attempts. Meyer – who returned to the Second Team – was 2nd in attack % at .406 and 11th with 1.9/set (68 total), She also gave 13 aces and 55 digs in GNC play.
“Alex has been a consistent player for us on offense and defense for the past few years,” Charles said. “I think she did a really nice job this year of leading the team as a captain. She was always encouraging the girls and is just a natural leader. She switched to a jump serve this season and it paid off as she was second in the conference in aces. I would have to say that she was strongest on defense this year and lead the team with digs.
“Hanna Doughty was a force in the middle this season. When we got the ball to Hanna, she was able to put it down. She really improved her quickness and strength this year to become a better blocker and hitter. She didn’t make the conference list for hitting percentage because it is based on attempts.
“Hanna Meyer became more of a threat this year because we were able to get the ball to her more. She has a very quick arm swing and is very athletic. Hanna seemed more poised and comfortable after a season of varsity experience under her belt. She is such a coachable kid and I know that she will be even more of a threat to teams next season because she will keep improving her game.”
Senior Amanda Schneider and junior Emily Schneider both earned Honorable Mention. Amanda – an HM pick last year – was tops in aces in total (43) and average (1.2/set) and gave 53 GNC digs. Emily would have been 2nd in attack % at .494 with enough attempts (44 kills total), was 7th in aces at .6/set (20 total) and 10th in blocks at .7/set (23 total).
“Amanda was very consistent for us this season,” Charles said. “She played defense in the back row for four rotations and had a wicked serve which earned us many points throughout the season. Amanda loves to play the game of volleyball. She constantly smiles during drills and her energy is infectious.
“Emily elevated her level of play this season. She worked hard to get quicker and stronger in the offseason and it showed through her play. Emily did a good job of hitting this season. She was 2nd on our team in hitting percentage, but didn’t make the conference list due to not getting the minimum required amount of attempts.”