AREA VOLLEYBALL HONORS | All-district awards pour in for Overton, WR, Arp, Troup, Tatum
Volleyball season has been over a while, and honors are finally starting to roll out, particularly the all-district teams, chosen by the coaches in each district.
In District 19-2A, where coach Rickey Hammontree’s Overton High School Lady Mustangs were state-ranked almost the entire season, Catherine Dennis was named overall most valuable player.
Dennis, a senior, rolled up 433 kills, 787 digs, 107 blocks and 61 aces.
It was the second huge honor for Dennis since the season ended. She and teammate Kayla Nobles were also named to the Texas Girls Coaches Association’s Class 2A All-State team.
And she was not alone on the superlative list.
Her teammates, Avery Smith and Kaylee Stevens, were also honored. Smith was named co-most valuable defensive player, alongside Union Grove’s Dayton Vaughn, and Stevens was named co-newcomer of the year, with Ava Wightman, also of Union Grove, and Beckville’s Hannah Hester.
Other superlative honors: Kellen Weaver of Beckville took home the most valuable hitter award; Hawkins’ Alaya Scoggins was named most valuable blocker; and Andee Poteet of Beckville was named coach of the year.
Joining Nobles as first-team all-district from Overton was Ja’Miya O’Neal. Others on the first team were Beckville’s Lexi Barr, Maddie McAfee, and Carli Tuttle; Big Sandy’s Daphhnie Blavier; Carlisle’s Kasey Hart; Hawkins’ Skylar Murray and Taetum Smith; and Union Grove’s Addi Smith and Taylor Campbell.
Lady Mustangs chosen for second-team all-district honors were Halle Mayfeild and Annalise Perkins. Others on the second-team all-district were Beckville’s Karsyn Coleman and Adyson Davis; Big Sandy’s Shemaiah Johnson; Carlisle’s Lexi Ibarra and Kyra Holcombe; Hawkins’ Haylie Warrick and Londyn Wilson; and Union Grove’s Hannah Coulter.
Honorable mention honors went to Overton’s Sarah Emery, Mason Fenter, Lila Gurley and Anaisha Tilley; Beckville’s Ayanna Burroughs, Ava Henigan, Kaitlyn Mauritzen and Gracey Struwe; Big Sandy’s Madi Hill and Journie Plunkett; Carlisle’s Joana Canchola and Emily Rocha; Hawkins’ Alyvia Barber, Jentri Evans, Kalyn Ellison, Elle Frazier, Alana Gipson, Abby McQueen and Jaci Smith; and Union Grove’s Karen Chavez and Gracie Lawrence.
Academic all-district selections from Overton were Catherine Dennis, Sarah Emery, Lila Gurley, Halle Mayfield, Bree’Ohna Sublett, and Anaisha Tilley. For Beckville: Lexi Barr, Ayanna Burroughs, Karsyn Coleman, Adyson Davis, Hannah Hester, Kaitlyn Mauritzen, Maddie McAfee, Gracey Struwe, Carlie Tuttle, and Kellen Weaver.
For Big Sandy: Ryleigh Allen, Daphnie Blavier, Madi Hill, Ava Jenison, Shemaiah Johnson, Kenzie McCartney, and Journie Plunkett. For Carlisle: Karolyne Estrada, Makayla Holcomb, Kalei Martin, and Emily Rocha. For Hawkins: Kalyn Ellison, Jentri Evans, Abby McQueen, Skylar Murray, Alaya Scoggins, and Haylie Warrick. And for Union Grove: Chloe Brooks, Taylor Campbell, Karen Chavez, Brady Colby, Hannah Coulter, Gracie Lawrence, Sarah Prince, Add Smith, Daytona Vaughn, Ava Wightman, and Natalie Woodard.
In District 16-3A, which includes four schools in the ETBlitz.com coverage area – West Rusk, Tatum, Arp and Troup – Tatum’s Kamdyn Scott has been named the most valuable player.
Scott, just a sophomore, finished up the season for the Lady Eagles with 522 kills, 401 digs, 65 blocks and 41 aces.
Other superlatives on the 16-3A team: West Rusk’s Hannah Haffner (blocker of the year), Troup’s Bailey Blanton (hitter of the year), Troup’s Ohenja Jordan (setter of the year) and teammate Chayne Graves (newcomer of the year), Addison Carpenter of Arp (server of the year), and Leven Barker of Tatum, who took coach of the year honors.
All-district first-team honors went to West Rusk’s Carlie Buckner and Bella Mata; Arp’s Maddie Birdsong; Troup’s Emory Cover and Chloie Haugeberg; Tatum’s Taydem Barker, Kaysen Foster and Camryn Milan; Waskom’s Jaynia Miles; Jefferson’s Keyasia Black; and Elysian Fields’ Kerrigan Love.
West Rusk’s Alexa Gibson and Keke Murphy were named all-district second-team, as were Tatum’s Katelyn Jacobs and Jayda Jones; Arp’s Landry Langley and Aubrey Poole; Troup’s Shiloh Sluder and Payton Wells; Elysian Fields’ Allison O’Brien; Waskom’s Taniya Hamilton’ and Jefferson’s Kourtlyn Dowell and Kristen Thomas.
Honorable mention honors went to West Rusk’s Irelind Hunt and Kamyah Lacy; Tatum’s Alex Brown and Gracie Pace; Troup’s Zaquirah Jordan; Arp’s Lacy Fletcher, Sydne Garrett, Lucy Hopson, and Allee McCollum; Jefferson’s Janiyah Ventimiglia; Elysian Fields’ Madison Owens, Myah Silliman, Baylee Vickers and Taylor Youngblood; and Waskom’s Kirsten Farrell, Kyleigh Miner, Macie Moody and Jada Spencer.
Academic all-district honors were also released, and here they are, by school:
Arp: Maddie Birdsong, Addison Carpenter, Lacy Fletcher, Sydne Garrett, Lucy Hopson, Landry Langley, Allee McCollum, manager Abby Parker, and Aubrey Poole.
Elysian Fields: Kaylen Commander, Kirsten Commander, Kerrigan Love, Allison O’Brien, Madison Owens, Kaci Richmond, Shelby Roberts, Kyleigh Stephens, Bailey Vickers, and Taylor Youngblood.
Jefferson: Keyasia Black, Adrianna Blanton, Brynlie Braddock, Kourtlyn Dowell, Christiana Justice, Karly Long, Ava Phillips, Kristen Thomas, Casey Shepard, Janiyah Ventimiglia, Keinysa Wallace, and Alyssa Williams.
Tatum: Alexandria Brown, Taydem Barker, Lily Crawford, Kaysen Foster, Katelyn Jacobs, Taylor Jacobs, Caitlyn Jones, Jayda Jones, Lily Luna, Camryn Milam, Gracie Pace, Ava Quick, Kamdyn Scott, and Karly Stroud.
Troup: Jacey Benge, Addie Blanton, Bailey Blanton, Emory Cover, Chayne Graves, Aubrey Griffin, Chloie Haugeberg, Zaquirah Jones, Izzy Owens, Georgia Ray, Shiloh Sluder, and Payton Wells.
Waskom: Vianney Abeja, Kirsten Farrell, Anna Hicks, Kyleigh Miner, Payton Myers, Jada Spencer, Anali Pedraza, Jaynia Miles, Macie Moody, Taniya Hamilton;
West Rusk: Carlie Buckner, Hannah Haffner, Bella Mata, Natalia Mata, Chloe Petty, and Paisley Smith.
Overton High School senior Catherine Dennis (above) was named the most valuable player on the all-district team for District 19-2A, by the district’s coaches. (Photo courtesy OVERTON HIGH SCHOOL ATHLETICS / FACEBOOK)