(Senior Player of the Year Finalists)

(Junior Player of the Year Finalists)

The list for the vballrecruiter.com Sophomore Player of the Year Finalists was significantly trimmed from our Player of the Year Candidates. That list featured nearly 70 players who first started off in the running. However, there are just eight finalists below. That’s because the criteria for winning the award is steep and ultimately not many qualified.

To be a finalist a player didn’t necessarily have to lead their team in a statistical category, but the contributions had to make a major impact and be undeniable. Another determining factor was overall team success. Given the number of sophomores listed as candidates, to be chosen as a finalist their respective team needed to win a state championship or the equivalent of given some programs can be independent. It’s a tough standard, one that eliminated plenty of talented candidates who had tremendous seasons for their respective schools.

We’ll select the eventual Sophomore Player of the Year winner from the list of finalists below, listed by alphabetical order.

Addison West OH Skutt Catholic NE: West – a 3-star recruit – did a phenomenal job in helping the Skyhawks earn their ninth consecutive Nebraska Class B state title. She racked up 395 kills, averaging 3.7 per set and hitting .353. She was just five winners shy of tying for the team lead. She was also just three digs away from tying for second in that category, finishing with 272.

Aubree Deshetsky OH North Branch MI: A 3-star recruit, Deshetsky came up large during this past fall as the Broncos brought home the Michigan Division 2 title for the second year in a row. She led the team with 515 kills, averaging 3.6 per set. She was also second in digs with 464 and fourth in aces. She had a season-high 18 kills and hit .452 in a three-game victory over Joliet Catholic IL at the Asics Challenge.

Ayanna Watson OH Bishop Gorman NV: With an impressive season, Watson is a frontrunner for the Player of the Year award. The 5-star recruit was instrumental in lifting the Gaels to the Nevada 5A state championship. Watson racked up 605 kills. She averaged 5.7 per set and hit .392. She was also second in aces and third in both digs and blocks. She had nine contests of at least 20 kills or more. It featured her season-best 32-kill performance in the state championship victory over Coronado, when she also hit .348.

Bellamie Beus OH Skyview ID: Beus’ efforts this fall speak for themselves. She recorded nearly half the team’s total kills, tallying 533. She averaged 5.4 per set and hit .360. She was second in digs, third in aces and fourth in blocks. Her two biggest outings happened to come in losses. One included a season-best 40 kills in a five-set defeat to Maple Mountain UT. The other was when she drilled down 25 kills in a four-set loss to Mountain View UT.

Ella Florez S Mill Valley KS: Florez – a 5-star recruit – was recently featured as our Player of the Week after leading Mill Valley to the Kansas 6A state championship and is another frontrunner for our award. The sophomore guided a balanced attack, one that saw four attackers finish between 200-350 kills. She finished the year with 943 assists, averaging 9.7 per set. She was also third in digs (253), blocks (53) and aces (34). She had a season-high 51 assists in a four-set victory over De Soto in mid-October.

Gunny Brock OH Cleveland TN: The Blue Raiders captured the Tennessee Division 1-3A state championship with Brock making significant contributions on the outside. She finished second on the team in kills with 421, averaging 3.1 per set while taking over 1,110 swings. She also provided points at the service line, accumulating a team-leading 103 aces. On top of that, she was third in digs with 361, averaging 2.6 per set.

Halle Thompson OH Grand Oaks TX: Another top contender for the Player of the Year award is Thompson. She had a magnificent season in helping Grand Oaks claim the Texas 6A state title. The 5-star recruit led the attack with 525 kills, averaging 4.1 per set. She also led in aces with 54, as well as being third in digs (289) and fourth in blocks (67). Among Thompson’s notable matches was a season-best 21 kills in a four-set victory over Sachse in the state playoffs.

Layli Ostovar OH Mater Dei CA: A 5-star recruit, Ostovar was a key piece of Mater Dei winning the California Open Division state championship and finishing as the top team in the country. She ended up third in kills with 347 averaging 3.1 per set. She was just 11 off second place and 55 away from the top kill leader. She was fourth in digs with 312, averaging 2.8 per set. She also finished fourth in aces with 30. She set a season-high 19 kills in a five-set victory against Huntington Beach in the state quarterfinals.