HOME Subscribe Today!
SEARCH: Go
Harbor Beach Times



Harbor Beach Times Sports

PUBLISHED: Wednesday, March 21, 2007
All-Thumb volleyball team announced



The Thumb Sportswriters Association (made up of the Huron County Press, Newsweekly, Harbor Beach Times, Sanilac County News, Huron Daily Tribune, Sandusky Tribune, and Tuscola County Advertiser) met recently to choose an All-Thumb volleyball team. The players chosen were the best players from the following area schools covered by those publications: Akron-Fairgrove, Bad Axe, Brown City, Caro, Carsonville-Port Sanilac, Caseville, Cass City, Croswell-Lexington, Deckerville, Elkton-Pigeon-Bay Port Laker, Harbor Beach, Kingston, Marlette, Mayville, Millington, North Branch Wesleyan, North Huron, Owendale-Gagetown, Peck, Port Hope, Reese, Sandusky, Ubly, Unionville-Sebewaing Area and Vassar.

Advertisement

The individuals chosen include:

FIRST TEAM

PLAYER OF THE YEAR-Sam Fish, North Branch: This 5'9" senior was an integral part of North Branch's success this season, which included a 67-2-1 regular season record and a #2 ranking in Class A. Fish, who averaged 1.9 kills per game, 5.9 assists per game, 2.11 digs per game, and had an 88.5 season serving percentage (454-for-513), was a candidate for Miss Volleyball (best senior in the state) and a Class A All-Region selection in Region Nine. She has received a full-ride scholarship to play at Bowling Green next year.

Carisa Seltz, Harbor Beach: Seltz took the art of libero to another level with an average of 19 digs per match in league matches. The senior holds school records for most digs in a season and most digs in a match. Marlette coach Fred McDowell said of Seltz, "I've seen many defensive specialists and she is one of the best." Carisa, who is ranked third in her class, will be attending Central Michigan in the fall.

Rachel Hebberd, North Branch: Hebberd, who averaged 2.2 kills per game, 1.08 digs per game, .54 blocks per game, and had a 91.8 season serving percentage, was the "top hitter and blocker for a team that isÉ 129-8-3 over the last two years," according to coach Jim Fish. Rachel, an All-Region pick, has a volleyball scholarship to attend Tiffin University in Ohio (Division II).

Jade Kaufman, Ubly: This senior outside hitter may have averaged 24 percent kill average, 3.22 digs per game, .68 blocks per game, and had a 92.9 season serving percentage, but what made her a true standout was her leadership. "Jade is verypositive," Bearcats coach Andy Gusa said. "Her upbeat attitude carries over the rest of the team." Kaufman, who is class president and ranked eighth in her class, will be attending SC4 to play volleyball. She was an All-Region selection.

Olivia Kohler, North Branch: The only underclassmen on the first or second team, this 5'4" sophomore averaged 1.37 kills per game, 1.2 assists per game, 2.87 digs per game, 163 aces, and had a 91.7 season serving percentage. Kohler, an All-Region pick, is rated as one of the top 120 sophomores in the country by www.volleyballprep.com and is first in her class of 229 with a 4.0 GPA. "(She is a) great athlete with a 30 inch vertical jump," coach Jim Fish said.

Jenna Lange, Marlette: Lange, who averaged 46 percent kill average; 5.4 kills per game; 1.63 digs per game; and 139 blocks, was a Class C All-Region selection Region Nine this year. One of her most impressive skills is a 9'6" one-hand vertical jump. "Jenna is a coach's dream player," coach Fred McDowell explained. "She is coachable and smart, both on the court and off." According to McDowell, Lange is being heavily recruited by CMU and SVSU.

SECOND TEAM

Josie Volz, Marlette: Volz, a 5'8" setter is one of two juniors on the second team. She earned her spot by averaging 8.99 assists per game (1,294 assists), while adding a 95 season serving percentage and 44 blocks. "She was our main setter and as her stats show, she was very effective," coach Fred McDowell said. "She leads the team by her hard work and uncanny ability to see an opponent's weak spots." Josie was a Class C All-Region selection.

Maegan Stewart, Cros-Lex: Stewart, a 5' senior libero, earned second team honors while averaging 10.3 digs per match and converting 90 percent of her serves. Pioneers coach Kelly Knuth said, "(She has) amazing leadership, enthusiasm, and dedication."

Deanna Welch, Brown City: Welch, a 6' senior All-Region selection, was a standout middle hitter this season with a 34 percent kill average, 80 percent dig average, 1.43 blocks per game average, and had a 95 percent season serving average. "Deanna is a fierce competitor," Green Devils coach Dennis Sidebottom said. "She plays her best against the best." This team captain is in the top 10 percent of her class and is a previous All-Conference Scholar Athlete.

Kayla Thompson, Marlette: Thompson, a 5'8" senior outside hitter, earned her spot on the second team with a 23 percent kill average, 2.77 digs per game average, while maintaining a 94 percent season serving average. Kayla, an All-Region selection, was a four year Varsity player and a co-captain this season. "She has developed into a very tough and smart attacker," coach Fred McDowell explained. He added that she is also a start outside of the class room as the Class Valedictorian and Winter Homecoming Queen.

Shannon Weber, Ubly: This 5'11" junior was an integral part of her team's second straight undefeated season in the GTE with a 23 percent kill average, while averaging three digs per game, 1.26 blocks per game, and maintaining a 91.33 percent season serving average. "Shannon is very coachable," Ubly coach Andy Gusa said. "She'll try whatever is asked of her and plays better in the high pressure situations." Weber is an All-Region selection and won team MIP honors in 2005 and MVP honors in 2006.

Amanda Dubey, EPBP: Dubey, a 5'7" senior, was an All-Region selection in Region Nine. She also played an important role in her team winning a GTW league title this season.

HONORABLE MENTION

Alicia Grigg

School: Sandusky

Class: Junior

Height: 5'6"

Position: Outside Hitter

Key stats: 1.44 kills per game (141 kills), .52 blocks per game (51 blocks), 35 aces, 77 percent season serving (229-for-296)

Amanda Langenburg

School: Cass City

Class: Sophomore

Height: 5'5"

Position: Setter

Key stats: .68 kills per game, 7.03 assists per game, 2.43 digs per game, 86 percent season serving (354-for-414)

Becky Albrecht

School: Caro

Class: Sophomore

Height: N/A

Position: Hitter

Key stats: 22 percent kill average, 3.3 kills per game, 2.89 digs per game, 83 percent season serving, 131 blocks (81 solo)

Carly Treiber

School: USA

Class: Sophomore

Height: 5'10"

Position: Setter

Key stats: 1.19 kills per game, 2.8 assists per game, 2.8 digs per game, 1.06 blocks per game, 91.28 percent season serving (408-for-447)

Erica Christy

School: CPS

Class: Senior

Height: 5'3"

Position: Outside Hitter

Key stats: 5.1 kills per game, 3.5 digs per game, 1.1 block per game, 93.9 percent season serving (216-for-230)

Heather Miller

School: North Huron

Class: Senior

Height: 5'6"

Position: Libero

Key stats: 3.6 digs per league game, 93 percent league serving (140-for-145)

Jessica Curtis

School: North Branch

Class: Junior

Height: 5'9"

Position: Outside Hitter

Key stats: 2.55 kills per game (380 kills), 1.0 digs per game, 86.1 percent season serving (260-for-302)

Honors: Class A All-Region selection

Jessica Fett

School: Cros-Lex

Class: Senior

Height: 6'0"

Position: Middle Hitter

Key stats: 2.7 kills per game, 3.03 digs per game, 1.5 blocks per game

Katie Rayl

School: USA

Class: Senior

Height: N/A

Position: Middle Hitter

Key stats: 2.26 kills per game, 2.48 digs per game, 1.77 blocks per game, 87 percent season serving (323-for-371)

Honors: Class C All-Region selection

Malorie Machart

School: Deckerville

Class: Senior

Height: 5'7"

Position: Hitter

Key stats: 71 kills in league matches, 24 assists, 148 digs, and 89 percent season serving (149-for-168), 29 aces

Samantha Breault

School: Bad Axe

Class: Sophomore

Height: 5'11"

Position: Outside Hitter/Setter

Key stats: 3.35 kills per game (368 kills), 3.11 digs per game, 76 aces, 93 percent season serving (426-for-460), 2.5 assists per game (282 assists)

Honors: Class C All-Region selection

Samantha Krueger

School: EPBP

Class: Senior

Height: 6'0"

Position: Hitter

Key stats: No stats submitted

Honors: Class C All-Region selection

Sara Meeker

School: Cass City

Class: Senior

Height: 6'0"

Position: Middle Hitter

Key stats: 3.32 kills per game, 70 aces, 87 percent season serving

Shelby LaBuhn

School: Ubly

Class: Senior

Height: 6'0"

Position: Outside Hitter

Key stats: 21 percent kill average, .54 digs per game, 1.09 blocks per game, 94.12 percent season serving (32-for-34)





TOP JOBS

TOP AUTOS

TOP HOMES

TOP RENTALS

TOP MERCHANDISE

Not all stories are guaranteed to appear online.
The Web edition contains a reasonable sampling of the print edition stories.
For the most complete news coverage, we invite you to subscribe to the print edition of the paper.