TEXAS, USA — Superlatives in this year's All-East Texas Volleyball Team goes to Player of the Year Kinsley Rivers of Beckville, Newcomer of the Year Addison Ridge of New Diana and Coach of the Year Cherry Downs of Beckville. Check out more about them and our full list of first and second teams and honorable mentions.
Player of the Year: Kinsley Rivers, Beckville
By the numbers: Rivers, the lone senior on Beckville's state championship squad, finished the season with 544 kills, 448 digs, 81 blocks, 66 aces and 47 assists. She recorded nine kill and 12 digs in the Class 2A state semifinals against Crawford and added 14 kills and 21 digs in the championship match against Thrall. In a four-year career at Beckville, she recorded 1,315 kills, 1,041 digs, 196 aces and 206 blocks
Newcomer of the Year: Addison Ridge, New Diana
By the numbers: The District 15-3A Newcomer of the Year, Ridge finished the season with 269 kills, 368 digs, 361 assists, 109 aces and 10 blocks. Ridge earned East Texas Player of the Week honors during the week of Sept. 20-25 after recording 41 digs, 26 kills, 23 assists and 11 aces in a couple of district outings — including a 34-dig, 18-kill, 18-assist performance in a five-set win over Sabine
Coach of the Year: Cherry Downs, Beckville
By the numbers: Downs led Beckville to its second state championship in the past four seasons, and continued to up the expectations of one of the best programs in the state. Beckville finished with a 47-3 record, and all three seasons came to ranked teams in higher classifications - Class 5A Lufkin twice and Class 4A Carthage once. Downs moved her career coaching record to 357-64, all at Beckville. The Ladycats were 23-12 in her first season back in 2012, and they have not won fewer than 30 matches in a season since then — going 30-5 in 2013 followed by seasons of 34-6, 37-6, 36-6, 41-1, 42-8, 36-14, 31-3 and 47-3. The Ladycats have dominated district play, winning nine straight district titles and 104 consecutive league matches, with the last loss coming on Oct. 12, 2012 against Overton.
First team
AVERY MORRIS
- Team: Beckville
- By the numbers: 602 kills, 442 digs, 87 aces, 24 blocks, 20 assists for state champions ... District Offensive MVP
AMBER HARRIS
- Team: Beckville
- By the numbers: 313 kills, 361 digs, 244 assists, 90 aces, 51 blocks for state champions ... District Offensive MVP
FAITH KRUEBBE
- Team: Carthage
- By the numbers: 505 kills, 450 digs, 130 assists, 70 aces, 45 blocks ... District MVP
MIA TRAYLOR
- Team: Spring Hill
- By the numbers: 955 assists, 115 kills, 301 digs, 50 aces ... District MVP Setter
MAHOGANI WILSON
- Team: Marshall
- By the numbers: 347 kills, 71 blocks, 44 percent kill rate, 91 digs, 13 aces. District 15-5A Co-Offensive MVP ... District MVP Hitter
LEXI BAKER
- Team: White Oak
- By the numbers: 427 kills, 58 aces, 26 blocks, 304 digs ... District MVP
SUMMER DANCY-VASQUEZ
- Team: Tatum
- By the numbers: 597 digs, 18 assists, 40 aces, 95.2 percent server ... District MVP
JENCI SEAHORN
- Team: Harmony
- By the numbers: 570 kills, 250 digs, 121 blocks, 68 aces ... District MVP
Second team
AYDEN MCDERMOTT
- Team: Hallsville
- By the numbers: 333 digs, 270 kills, 60 aces, 27 blocks, 5 assists
CAROLANN BOWLES
- Team: Spring Hill
- By the numbers: 389 kills, 63 aces, 163 digs, 31 blocks ... District MVP Hitter
SOPHIE ELLIOTT
- Team: Beckville
- By the numbers: 1,312 assists, 51 aces, 32 kills, 333 digs for state champs ... District MVP Setter
MAKENA WARREN
- Team: Hawkins
- By the numbers: 313 kills, 66 aces, 101 digs, 56 blocks ... District MVP
BRIANNA CONVERSE
- Team: Longview
- By the numbers: 243 kills, 92 digs, 19 aces
CARMEN CHATMAN
- Team: Pine Tree
- By the numbers: 390 digs, 69 kills, 36 aces, 92.8 percent server, 392 assists, 22 blocks
MARY FENTER
- Team: Overton
- By the numbers: 434 kills, 30 blocks, 661 digs, 70 aces ... District MVP Hitter
SADIE SMITH
- Team: Carthage
- By the numbers: 850 assists, 345 digs, 85 kills, 50 blocks, 45 aces ... district MVP Setter
Third team
PIPER MORTON
- Team: West Rusk
- By the numbers: 223 kills, 438 digs, 80 blocks, 62 aces, 25 assists
ISABELLA EMERY
- Team: Marshall
- By the numbers: 546 digs, 39 aces, 851 receptions with 51 errors, 11 assists, eight kills ... District Defensive MVP
EMMA HILL
- Team: White Oak
- By the numbers: 960 assists, 163 digs, 28 blocks, 82 aces, 85 kills ... District MVP Setter
JORDAN PARKER
- Team: East Texas Homeschool
- By the numbers: 427 kills, 348 digs, 43 aces, 31 blocks, 38 assists
CALE BROWN
- Team: Sabine
- By the numbers: 259 kills, 20 aces, 90 percent server, 176 blocks ... District MVP Blocker
TAYLOR HELTON
- Team: Henderson
- By the numbers: 256 kills, 101 blocks, 77 aces, 69 digs ... District MVP Blocker
ABBY SORENSON
- Team: Tatum
- By the numbers: 1,008 assists, 54 kills, 247 digs, 55 aces, 95.6 percent server ... District MVP Setter
LAUREN PYLE
- Team: Hallsville
- By the numbers: 830 assists, 246 digs, 72 kills, 55 aces, 34 blocks
Honorable mention
Longview: Jakayla Morrow; Brayleigh Mitchell; Mariah Thompson; Amirah Alexander; Pine Tree: Jalen Scroggins; Tatum Cates; Jamaya Davis; Spring Hill: Janie Bradshaw; Hallsville: Brook Grissom; Macie Nelson; Kilgore: Maleah Thurmond; New Diana: Peyton Abernathy; Starrmia Dixon; Taylor Garrett; Mallory Rudd; Torri Ward; LiAnn James; Beckville: Laney Jones; White Oak: Anna Iske; Kaylee Wilkinson; Brazie Croft; Union Grove: Analeice Jones; Samantha Coleman; Gracie Winn; Brady Colby; Sydney Chamberlain; Carthage: Makhai Lewis; Jakyra Roberts; Mara Hodges; Taylnn Williams; Erin Dodge; Hughes Springs: Cori Johnson; Henderson: Taylor Lybrand; Ty'Esha Mosley; Camille Freeman; Mount Pleasant: Aziyah Farrier; Tatum: Kerrigan Biggs; Kaylei Stroud; Ore City: Jacee Burks; Josie Reynolds; Victoria Jones; West Rusk: Paulina Mata; Stormie LeJeune; Raylee Mosley; Sabine: Ella Roberts; Maddie Furrh; Riley Lux; Allye Gresham; ET Homeschool: Jaelyn Cleveland; Jenna Parker; Hawkins: Lynli Dacus; Tenley Conde; Trinity Hawkins; Jordyn Warren; Waskom: Alaina Dyson; LaDaija Thomas; Overton: Kaley McMillian; Big Sandy: Calle Minter; Longview Christian School: Julianne Feenstra