Coming off back-to-back Arizona 5A state championships a season ago, there was going to be a major change with the Horizon volleyball program heading into 2023 after long-time coach Valorie McKenzie stepped down. She had been the Huskies’ head coach since the school opened in 1980.

While McKenna Skaggs taking over signaled a new era, one important piece remained in place and her name was Teraya Sigler. Sigler – a 5-star outside and Nebraska commit – was coming off a USAV 16 Open gold medal playing with Arizona Storm 16 Thunder. Any team with Sigler on the court stands a puncher’s chance against any opponent, but the junior wasn’t exactly thinking of a three-peat as she headed into the high school season.

“Our former coach for 40-plus year, the only coach who has been in the program, was gone and this was our first year with a new coach,” she said. “It was kind of a rebuilding year with making new traditions and keeping the old ones as we moved forward. No one thought we were going to win state. We had to work out rough patches at the beginning of the season but the main goal was to work as hard as we possibly can at every practice and every game.”

Fast forward to the state playoffs. Hardly the favorite, Horizon opened as the No. 4 overall seed behind teams like Millennium, Casteel and Notre Dame Prep, all schools Horizon lost to during the regular season. Even No. 5 seed Sunrise Mountain owned a victory over Horizon heading into state.

The Huskies’ two-year run seemed destined to come to an end. But like we said earlier, any team with Sigler on it always has a chance. She ripped down 16 kills and hit .652 as Horizon swept Buckeye to advance to the quarters. In that round, playing against Sunrise Mountain, Sigler put down 15 kills and hit .412 in another sweep. Then the magic happened.

In a showdown against rival and top-seeded Casteel in the semis, Sigler exploded for a season-high 33 kills while hitting .452 as the Huskies prevailed in four.

“In the semifinals and playing a team like that, we had to fight as a team,” Sigler said. “After that it felt like we could totally win state. Casteel is a pretty big rival, especially in volleyball. We knew it was a big match after losing to them in the regular season. I just needed to get my mind right with my teammates and myself. It was a full team effort. My teammates, they worked so hard to get me the ball and I wouldn’t be here without them. I want to win for this team and for this program and we worked so hard to push through it.”

Millennium swept Horizon in the regular season and represented another giant hurdle standing in the way of a three-peat. But there was no stopping Sigler at that point. In a dramatic five-set victory, Sigler lifted Horizon to the state title after pounding down 30 kills in her second-biggest output of the season.

For her efforts this fall, Sigler is vballrecruiter.com’s 2023 Junior Player of the Year.

“She was a powerhouse in that match,” Skaggs said. “Her leadership qualities, she was really locked in. She made eye contact with every single person and made it a point to let them know she was all in. That made them want to be all in. Her drive, her passion, her skill other players want to be good for her. She talks about how this isn’t her team. Everyone knows how good she is because of club, but she would tell her teammates nobody knows how good they are.”

Selecting the Junior Player of the Year was a rigorous process. Arguments could be made for difference-maker players like Addy Horner from St. Francis/Wheaton IL, Cari Spears from Prestonwood Christian TX, Chloe Elarton of Valor Christian CO, Maya Witherspoon of Lafayette MO and even Sigler’s club teammate Devyn Wiest, who helped O’Connor to the Arizona 6A state championship. Sigler’s case came with the undeniable impact she had on Horizon, even beyond her impressive numbers.

Those included a team-leading 614 kills, which was 400 more than the next closest leader. She averaged 5.2 per set and hit .337. She also finished as the dig leader, making 358 saves and averaging 3.0 per set. Furthermore, she was second in blocks (58) and fourth in aces (40). What those stats can’t measure is what her presence meant and what her intangibles did for those around her.

“There is no denying her skill wise,” Skaggs said. “She is very, very advanced and our team would not have performed the way we did without her. My favorite thing about her more than just her being an athlete is what I saw in her leadership quality.

“She is one of the most humble athletes ever. She doesn’t ever tell anyone she is good or she is the best. She always thinks she needs to get better. It’s not about herself. She wants to show up for her team and it’s really her humility that makes me so proud of her.”