Last week we presented our Freshman Player of the Candidates. This week, we give you our Freshman Player of the Year Finalists. The award winner is set to be announced the following week. We began with roughly 70 candidates and it should make sense that field gets much more defined as we narrowed it down to roughly about 15 finalists.

Here’s what we are looking for in selecting our finalists and ultimately Player of the Year award. It contains three parts that are subjective by nature. One part measures the overall talent of a player. The next part takes into consideration the player’s overall impact on their team. The third part centers around the team’s overall success.

In terms of Player of the Year finalists, it’s not impossible to make the list unless the player’s team won a state championship but it certainly helps. It’s a big country with lots of talented players and at the same time we wanted to introduce a factor that includes the team element. Winning a state title is prestigious accomplishment that is the pinnacle of every program around the country.

A player’s impact on their team can be subjective but it’s a big bonus if a player led their team in their respective category – i.e. assists for setters, kills for setters or blocks for middles. It’s difficult to do as a freshman. Lastly, when it comes to a player’s overall talent, while it’s subjective as well, most can agree on who the top players are. Add all three together and these are what we are looking for in our Player of the Year winner.

At last, we present our Freshman Player of the Year Finalists.

Anna Flores FR MB Keller TX: Flores is a great story, as she wasn’t even on any radar when the season started. That’s because Flores’ main position is setting and with senior Taylor Polivka on the roster there didn’t seem to be much of a role for Flores. However, that changed when she was asked to fill in at middle blocker. All she did was finish second in kills with 298, averaging 2.3 per set. On top of that, she led the team in blocks! She posted a team-high 77. Now consider Keller made the 6A state semifinals and while she might not be a leading finalist she’s certainly worthy of making the cut.

Aubree Deshetsky FR OH North Branch MI: The Broncos (53-7) captured Michigan’s Division 2 state championship. There’s no doubt Deshetsky played a vital role in that, as she chipped in across the board. She had 281 kills, averaging 1.8 per set. She was third in digs with 352, averaging 2.3 per set. She finished second in assists with 71; fourth in blocks with 52; and second in aces with 69.

Ayanna Watson FR OH Bishop Gorman NV: Watson missed a bit of time – she played in 93 of the team’s 113 sets – but not enough to keep her from making the final cut. The 6-2 outside was a big-time factor in the Gaels reaching the 5A state semifinals. She had a big year, delivering 317 kills and averaging 3.4 per set. She also hit .387 and was third in digs with 324, averaging 3.5 per set. She was also third in blocks (64) and aces (48).

Catherine Palmi FR OH Osceola FL: Palmi put together an incredible year and has to be considered among the top finalists. Her case is that strong. Osceola (26-5) reached Florida’s 7A state semifinals riding the arm of their freshman talent. Palmi was instrumental, carrying the offense with a team-high 591 kills. She averaged 5.6 per set and she hit .340. She was also second in digs with 302 and led the team in aces with 58.

D’aira Whitner FR MB Gilmour Academy OH: Gilmour Academy (21-9) was the Ohio Division 2 state runner up and what a year Whitner put together for the Lancers. The freshman middle finished third in kills with 247, but was only less than 40 kills from being the leader. She averaged 2.6 per set. She made an even bigger impact on the other side of the ball. She posted a team-leading 79 blocks, averaging 0.8 per set. She was also fourth in aces with 37.

Elena Hoecke FR MB Centennial MN: Hoecke – a 6-2, 3-star recruit – definitely left her mark on the season as Centennial reached Minnesota’s Class 4A state quarterfinals. She was close to be the kill leader, finishing second with 283. She averaged 3.0 kills per set and was second in hitting percentage at .296. She was even better defensively, racking up a team-high 79 blocks. If that wasn’t enough, she was also the ace leader with 62.

Elena Ruble FR S St. Pius MO: The Lancers (23-5) made a run to the Missouri Class 4 state quarterfinals with a young roster that included Ruble – a 3-star recruit who moves and dishes well – running the offense. She piled up 839 assists and averaged 9.5 per set.

Ella Florez FR S/RS Mill Valley KS: Florez deserves to be in the finalist conversation with the season she turned in for Mill Valley, which made the Kansas 6A state semifinals. She played a dual role for the Jaguars. She led the team in assists with 450, averaging 4.8 per set. She also carried a load on offense, chipping in with 210 kills and averaging 2.3 per set. Both were second on the team. She was also second in digs with 236 and third in blocks with 72. Her 34 aces were second on the roster, showing her contributions came in every facet.

Erin Clark FR L Corona del Sol AZ: It’s rare for a freshman to play such a key role on such a successful team as Clark did for the Aztecs this fall. Corona del Sol captured Arizona’s 6A state championship. It was Clark taking a leadership role on the defensive side, as she earned the libero spot. She was solid in her performance, totaling 445 digs for the season. She averaged 4.2 per set and 10.6 per match.

Genevieve Harris FR S Cardinal Gibbons NC: In reach North Carolina’s 4A state semifinals, the Crusaders (19-7) were in the hunt as one of the top teams in the state. They likely wouldn’t have done it without their freshman setter. Harris was a rock in leading the charge. She dished out 744 assists, averaging 9.2 per set.

Haley Robinson FR OH Bayside Academy AL: It should surprise no one if Robinson ultimately winds up winning the POY award. The 6-2 outside had a sensational season and her case is as strong as anyone else’s. Bayside Academy won the Alabama 6A state championship and Robinson was at the center of it all. She led the team in kills with 439, averaging 2.6 per set and hitting .281.

Henley Anderson FR OH Dripping Springs TX: One of the most unpredictable storylines this season was Dripping Springs rising up and capturing Texas’ 6A state championship. It was an impressive feat and one helped along by the significant contributions of the 6-4 Anderson. She was unstoppable, compiling 540 kills on the year. That was 13 short of leading the team as she averaged 3.4 per set and hit .303. She was also fourth in blocks with 74 and third in digs with 369. Add it all up and Anderson is another favorite among the finalist.

Laura Eichert FR OH Lake Stevens WA: The Vikings (28-7) made Washington’s 4A state finals and finished runner up. With the team proving they were among the best in the state, it was Eichert having a huge impact on the attack. The 5-11 outside led the offense with 366 kills. She averaged 3.5 per set and also finished third in total digs with 201. She was also third in blocks and fourth in aces, all of which has her among the finalists for POY.