SVCsportszone.com's All-League Volleyball Team
By Shayne Combs, admin1@svcsportszone.com
the opinions of the coaches. The official list for All-SVC will be released later next week, but while we
wait, here is a look at the way I would breakdown the individuals in this year’s volleyball league.
I felt going into the year, Adena would really lack hitters at the net. Even now, I still feel this is somewhat true; however, Cory’s athleticism, hands, and volleyball IQ allows the Lady Warriors to play so fast. I realize Adena’s passing is done with great precision, but Cory always seems to make the correct decision with perfect placement. Finally, you add Cory’s ability to dominate with her serve, her play at the net when in the front row which really added to Adena’s attack, and her defensive coverage, and I feel this is an easy choice for POY.
I went senior on POY and now I will start my Defensive Specialist on the other extreme with a freshman. Huntington’s Alayna Lytle was outstanding in the back row this season. Statistically speaking, she led the league in digs per game, but her true impact could only be felt if you watched her play on multiple occasions. I would also have no trouble with making this a Co-Defensive Specialist with Adena’s Michelle Ackley. As mentioned above in my description of Player of the Year, Cory’s job is definitely made easier due to the passing of Ackley.
As I start down my list, I have always wondered why volleyball does not split its all-league squad into two groups, so that is what I have done with my 2011 squad. I do think there are some players who deserve to at least have their names included in the POY discussion, and these players make up the top-half of my first team. I think Olivia Cobb had a Player of the Year type of season. There are only a few players in the SVC who can impact a volleyball match in as many ways as Cobb can do on a nightly basis. Unioto’s Lauren Stout had a monster year statistically leading the SVC in assists. Huntington’s Jackie Kellough and Adena’s Olivia Arledge would belong in this debate as well. Both were right at the top in the league in kills. Finally, I would round out my first team with Zane Trace’s Hayley Carle and Southeastern’s Merrilee Dresbach. Both ranked in the top-five of kills while Dresbach led the league in aces.
As my list continues to my second team, I will start with two players from the two teams tied for second-place in the league standings in Westfall’s Alex Phillips and Huntington’s Zoey Zickafoose. Phillips finished in the top-10 in the SVC in assists, kills, blocks, and serve percentage while Zickafoose was a great presence at the net finishing in the league’s top-10 in kills and blocks. I also like Unioto’s Sydney Coman for a second-team selection. Coman finished in the top-five of the SVC in kills with around 3.5 per game. Next up is Delaney Spetnagel of Zane Trace. Spetnagel is perhaps one of the league’s most underappreciated talents as she was a top-10 performer in the SVC in kills, digs, and aces in 2011. Another solid all-around performer is Westfall’s Olivia Beavers. As I get towards the bottom of my list, I feel it is important to give the SVC champions their due. I feel Cara Coy, Jenny Grigsby, and Logan Bowdle all deserve spots. I know many will complain of Adena getting six kids honored in my list, but keep in mind, these players and their efficient play is a big reason Adena wins this year’s league by four matches. Finally, I conclude my list with Unioto’s Alexis Overly. I know on any list that the final spot will lead to controversy. Some will say there are some upperclassmen who deserve this spot. I believe the freshman Overly deserves it as she is the only Unioto player other than Stout to play all the way around on a 17-5 Unioto team.
I start in on my honorable mention by saying I did not forget about Piketon and Paint Valley, but I just didn’t think they had an all-league player this year. PV’s Taylor Baker and Piketon’s Aleah Pelphrey are both players that I had on my radar, but there were a few players on teams finishing much higher that I felt were more deserving. When you consider the standings, I thought is was fair to include some more players off an Adena team that won the league by four matches as well as some kids who played significant roles on teams in the top-half the league.
Perhaps my biggest snub this year is Huntington’s setter Halie Ingram. Ingram was third in the SVC in assists while helping Huntington to a second-place tie with Westfall in the standings. You could also make an argument that a second Southeastern player was snubbed, but I am not sure who it would be. The reason I say it this way is because of all the different kids you could consider in this spot. Morgan Jones starts a list that could also include Kylan Strausbaugh and Emily Dresbach.
I also know some Unioto people will not like my list. I realize as seniors Jamie Hyden and Hannah Miller had solid seasons at the net. Hyden finished the season in the top-five of the SVC in blocks. I also should mention that late in the season when Miller appeared to be getting healthy that she posted some really impressive numbers at the net. I also think Unioto’s Brittany Moore deserves some mention as she finished the season in the top-five of the SVC in digs.
Amanda Curry of Westfall nearly became the third freshman on my list, but I just started to run out of room at the bottom of my second team. Curry spent the entire year towards the top of the SVC leaders in blocks, and she is sure to be a dominant player at the net over the next three seasons in the SVC.
Finally, I would say that Zane Trace had several players worthy of mention, but Carle and Spetnagel were the obvious choices. After sorting out about another four Lady Pioneers, I did give some thought to adding Devin Unger to my list, but as I mentioned before, I felt Adena’s dominance of the league earned them the right to dominate my list.
As for my top coach, I feel Adena’s Laura Smith deserves this honor. What she has done in the SVC over the past few decades has simply set a standard that programs continue to chase year after year. After Smith, I thought several coaches did a great job this season. Every match I attended between teams finishing two through six in the standings usually ended up in a four or five set thriller.
Halie Ingram, Huntington
Taylor Baker, Paint Valley
Aleah Pelphrey, Piketon
Morgan Jones, Southeastern
Emily Dresbach, Southeastern
Kylan Strausbaugh, Southeastern
Jamie Hyden, Unioto
Hannah Miller, Unioto
Brittany Moore, Unioto
Amanda Curry, Westfall
Devin Unger, Zane Trace
Coach of the Year: Laura Smith, Adena
Player of the Year: Cadie Cory, Adena
Defensive Specialist: Alayna Lytle, Huntington…Michelle Ackley, Adena
Olivia Cobb, Westfall
Lauren Stout, Unioto
Jackie Kellough, Huntington
Olivia Arledge, Adena
Hayley Carle, Zane Trace
Merrilee Dresbach, Southeastern
Alex Phillips, Westfall
Zoey Zickafoose, Huntington
Sydney Coman, Unioto
Delaney Spetnagel, Zane Trace
Olivia Beavers, Westfall
Cara Coy, Adena
Jenny Grigsby, Adena
Logan Bowdle, Adena
Alexis Overly, Unioto