SVCsportszone's All-SVC Team Volleyball 2008 = By Shayne Combs

Please understand that these selections are only based on the opinion's of SVCsportszone.com. They in no way are the opinions of the SVC coaches and have nothing to do with the official all-league team which should be announced later this week.

Adena's Ashely Jordan is SVCsportszone's pick for Scioto Valley Conference Player of the Year. This was a tough selection; however, in the end, the senior southpaw is simply the best player in this year's conference. Jordan leads the league in kills at over four per game. The Ohio University bound star also is among the league leaders in blocks at .65 per game. I realize she plays on a loaded team and is not forced to do as much as some of the other stars around the league, but you could also say that her situation hurts her statistically because of how Adena spreads the hitting opportinuties out to several players. Obviously stats are always going to play a role in all-league, but there still has to be an evaluation made on who the best players are each year - and in my opinion Jordan is the best player this year.

Joining Jordan on our team this year is Unioto's Katelyn Jinks. Jinks, a player who made the Player of the Year selection a difficult one, is perhaps the league's most versatile player. In the most recently updated league leaders, the Unioto senior is in the top 10 of just about every stat you can come up with. Jinks has led an inexperienced Unioto team to a 15-5 record and a top-seed in the Division-II sectional tournament.

Following Jordan and Jinks is a pair of great players at the net. Zane Trace's Jessica Roepke and Westfall's Suzy Gantz have had increased roles this season and the pair of juniors have delivered. Roepke is third in the league in kills and her jump serve has helped her to a league best in aces. For Gantz, the Westfall middle hitter has taken on the almost unfair role of trying to replace three time POY in Cassie Sowers, but for the most part, Gantz has been one of the league's best all-around talents.

Obviously, all great teams - no matter how much talent it has - must have a great leader. The SVCsportszone's first-team setter is Adena's Cadie Cory. Forget the nine you see in her grade column - this kid can play. The Adena setter is by far the leader in assists per game. Any great setter's best friend is a great passer, so it is no surprise that the defensive player of the year goes to Adena's Megan Purdin. Purdin, who led Adena to the elite eight a year ago as the setter, now wears the different colored jersey and leads the fine Adena defense. Rounding out the first-team is Westfall's Haley Gabriel, Huntington's Ali Oyer and Megan Fultz, and Adena's Kirsti Yates. Gabriel, a sophomore, has had a huge second half this season. After being forced to set while sister Hannah was out with an injury, Haley returned outside to her natural position where she has stuffed the stat sheet on a nightly basis in terms of kills, blocks, digs, and aces. The Huntington duo is among the league leaders in kills, blocks, and digs and have helped lead the green and white to a third-place finish in the SVC. Finally, Adena's Kirsti Yates rounds out the first team. Yates is in the top ten of both kills and digs and also serves at a league's fifth-best 95.7%.

FIRST-TEAM Ashley Jordan, Adena Katelyn Jinks, Unioto Suzy Gantz, WF Jessica Roepke, ZT Cadie Cory, Adena Haley Gabriel, WF Megan Fultz, Huntington Kirsti Yates, Adena Ali Oyer, Huntington Megan Purdin, Adena

SECOND-TEAM Micah Bowles, Huntington Hannah Gabriel, WF Kristin Vranicar, Unioto Catherine Dresbach, SE Cassie Sharp, PV Olivia Arledge, SE Tristan Rumfield, PV Allison Morgan, Adena Micah Motes, Unioto Kelsey Bielanow, Adena

HONORABLE MENTION Brittney Snyder, Adena Alex Johns, Huntington Kaitlin Duarte, SE Brooke Snyder, Adena Jenna Wiget, ZT Madison Davis, Unioto Alex Southworth, Piketon Jordyn Wiget, ZT Nicole Ratcliff, WF

2008 COACH OF THE YEAR = LAURA SMITH, ADENA