Meet SBLive's national high school volleyball players of the year in 2021-22
Photo by Tommy Land
We've officially shifted from the 2021-22 high school sports season to the 2022-23 preseason, so it's time to look back on the stars of the past fall, winter and spring seasons before we start looking ahead to who's next.
Over the next few weeks we'll be highlighting some of the players of the year in volleyball, football, boys and girls soccer, boys and girls basketball, boys and girls track and field, softball and baseball.
Here are 20 high school volleyball players who had a season worthy of national recognition.
Alabama: Audrey Rothman, outside hitter, Spain Park, sr.
Rothman had 709 kills in leading Spain Park to its first state championship, a year after finishing as runner-up. The 6-foot-4 Florida State-bound outside hitter finished her high school career as Spain Park's all-time leader in kills and digs.
Arizona: Jordan Middleton, outside hitter, Hamilton, sr.
The 6-foot-2 senior won her second straight Arizona Gatorade Player of the Year award, finishing with a school-record 1,556 kills. She heads to USC as the No. 2-ranked recruit in the nation.
Arkansas: Kennedy Phelan, setter, Fayetteville, jr.
Phelan dished out an astonishing 1,123 assists in leading Fayetteville to its second consecutive Class 6A state championship. The 5-foot-8 Florida State commit in beach and indoor volleyball also had 274 digs, 112 aces and 88 kills as a junior.
California: Elia Rubin, outside hitter, Marymount, sr.
The Stanford signee led the Sailors to a 35-0 record, the state Open Division championship and PrepVolleyball.com’s No. 1 national ranking. Her devastating kill helped clinch the title in the Southern Section championship match against Mater Dei.
Colorado: Carter Booth, middle blocker, Cherry Creek, sr.
Booth led Cherry Creek to a 26-2 record and the Class 5A state championship, piling up 335 kills, 127 blocks, 70 digs and 35 aces. The 6-foot-7 Minnesota signee finished her high school career with 681 kills.
Florida: Jordyn Byrd, outside hitter, Cardinal Mooney, jr.
The 6-foot-5 junior outside hitter had 551 kills, 258 digs, 56 blocks and 25 aces for the Cougars last season. Byrd recorded a .463 hitting percentage and heads into her senior season as one of the top-ranked players in the nation.
Georgia: Cheridyn Leverette, outside hitter, Eagle's Landing Christian Academy, sr.
The Class A Private Player of the Year piled up 564 kills and 370 digs for the Chargers. The well-rounded 6-footer will be playing for UCLA this fall.
Hawaii: Devin Kahahawai, outside hitter, Kamehameha Schools-Kapalama, sr.
Devastating at the net, Kahahawai amassed 257 kills, 139 digs, 24 blocks and 14 aces while posting a .408 kill percentage in her senior year. The 6-foot-4 senior led the Warriors to the Division I state championship, and she's heading to the mainland to play her college volleyball for Texas.
Idaho: Eden Bower, outside hitter, Skyview, sr.
Bower finished her senior season with 632 kills, 307 digs, 58 blocks and 40 aces to lead nationally ranked Skyview to its second consecutive 5A state championship. Up next for the 6-foot-3 outside hitter is a college volleyball career at BYU.
Indiana: Emma Halter, libero, Roncalli, sr.
A 5-foot-5 libero, Halter was a dig machine for Roncalli, finishing her senior season with 772 after getting 766 in each of her two previous seasons. Halter will take her talents to Texas this fall.
Iowa: Hayden Kubik, outside hitter, Valley, sr.
Kubik graduated early and joined her older sister Madi at Nebraska in the spring. As a senior at Valley High School in West Des Moines, Hayden Kubik averaged 5.2 kills per set with 488 total kills. She racked up more than 1,500 kills in her prep career.
Kansas: Skyler Pierce, outside hitter, Olathe Northwest, soph.
Pierce had 425 kills in 99 sets as a sophomore and recently committed to top-ranked Nebraska. She led the Ravens to a third-place finish in the Class 6A state tournament.
Michigan: Evie Doezema, outside hitter, Grand Rapids Christian, sr.
Doezema, a three-time state champion, recorded 748 kills and 394 digs as a senior. She also served 93 percent with 55 aces and will be competing for Michigan State in 2022-23.
Mississippi: Lakin Laurendine, outside hitter, Jackson Academy, jr.
Laurendine led Jackson Academy to a 38-8 overall record in the Midsouth Association of Independent Schools Conference, finishing her junior year with 509 kills, 378 digs and 111 aces. The Auburn signee was named Mississippi Gatorade Player of the Year, Jackson Academy volleyball's third straight year winning the award.
North Carolina: Riley Buckley, setter/right side, North Raleigh Christian Academy, sr.
Buckley became the first Gatorade Player of the Year from North Raleigh Christian Academy in 2020-21, and then she won it again in 2021-22. The 6-foot-1 Missouri commit had 641 assists in leading the Knights to a 27-2 record and the North Carolina Independent Schools Athletic Association Class 4A state championship.
Ohio: Kathryn Randorf, middle blocker, Gilmour Academy, sr.
Randorf racked up 459 kills, 298 digs and 106 blocks, leading Gilmour Academy to a 25-3 record and a second consecutive Division II state title. The Northwestern signee also won her second straight Ohio Gatorade Player of the Year award.
South Carolina: Marianna Singletary, middle blocker, Porter-Gaud School, sr.
Singletary racked up 745 kills, 206 digs, 101 blocks and 71 aces to lead Porter-Gaud to a 39-7-2 record and the South Carolina Independent School Association Class 3A championship. The 6-foot-5 middle blocker will be playing for Texas in the fall.
Texas: Averi Carlson, setter, Lovejoy, sr.
Carlson led the Leopards (42-6) to back-to-back Class 5A volleyball state titles and earned the 5A Championship Match MVP award after tallying 16 assists, a team-high 10 kills, 10 digs, two aces and a block against Grapevine. The Baylor signee was named national Gatorade Player of the Year.
Utah: Maggie Mendelson, middle blocker, Fremont, sr.
Mendelson reclassified from the Class of 2023 to graduate early and attend Nebraska, where she'll play volleyball and basketball. The 6-foot-5 two-sport star passed the 1,000-career-kills milestone in just 2 1/2 years playing volleyball for Fremont.
Wisconsin: McKenna Wucherer, outside hitter, Brookfield Central, sr.
The 6-1 outside hitter out of the Milwaukee suburbs received the majority of the first-place votes in the Volleyballmag.com Fab 50 poll of the top seniors in the nation. The Minnesota signee finished her prep volleyball career with 2,028 kills and 1,076 digs.
