The State’s All-Midlands Volleyball Team
Midlands Volleyball Player of Year
Name: Gabby Waden
School: Blythewood
Class: Junior
Season Highlights: Class 5A all-state selection, Region 5-5A Player of Year. Had .566 hitting percentage, 438 kills and 191 blocks.
Blythewood coach Mary Hall on Waden: “Gabby is the leader of the team. Gabby sets the tone for the Lady Bengals. Her teammates feed off of her drive and her determination. When she is off of the court her presence is definitely missed. There is a collective groan from our opponents when she enters the game and a stronger sense of confidence from her peers whenever she is on the court.”
Waden on her season: “I remember how our team chemistry was always there and we bonded through the season. We went to lower state and it was a learning experience for all of us.”
All-Midlands Volleyball Team
Cali Assaley, A.C. Flora – Class 4A all-state and Region 5-4A Player of Year.
Reilly Bartlett, River Bluff – Class 5A All-state selection, 108 kills, 420 assists, 173 digs and 43 aces.
Logan Coates, North Central – Class 2A all-state selection, 41 kills, 842 assists, 205 digs, 48 aces.
Faith Grant, Camden – Class 3A all-state selection.
Emily Hyman, Lugoff-Elgin – Class 4A all-state selection, Region 6-4A Player of Year, 144 kills, 160 digs.
Bree Lee, North Central – Class 2A all-state, Region 4-2A Player of Year, 272 kills, 21 blocks, 194 digs.
Logan McMullin, Richland Northeast – Class 4A all-state, Region 4-3A Player of Year, all-state selection.
Yaasmeen Muhammad, Keenan – Class 2A all-state selection, 127 digs.
Emma Nash, Camden – Class 3A, all-state selection.
Sierra Punska, Gray Collegiate – Class 2A all-state selection, 159 aces, 123 kills, 257 assists.
Chania Rispress, Blythewood – North-South selection, had 897 assists and 69 aces.
Maggie Salley, Lexington – Class 5A all-state selection, 52 aces, 47 blocks and 300 digs.
Brianna Strobert, Swansea – Class 3A all-state selection, 32 blocks, 89 digs.
Charlsy Traylor, Mid-Carolina – Class 3A all-state selection, 120 kills, 37 aces.
Honorable mention: Peytton Bagwell, River Bluff; Brittney Beems, Pelion Isabella Bell, Blythewood; Rachael Branham, Gray Collegiate, T’Meyah Burgess, Spring Valley; Madi Campbell, Lugoff-Elgin; Amanda Carnes, Ben Lippen; Azhia Carter, Blythewood; Ashleigh Cooke, Dreher; Jenna Evans, Brookland-Cayce; Allison Hair Gray Collegiate; Peyton McDonald, Cardinal Newman; Jaelynn Murray, Dreher; Hayley Nazario, Chapin; Nia Reid, Gray Collegiate; Reilly Smith, A.C. Flora, Sydney Swann, Blythewood; Natalie Taylor, Lugoff-Elgin; Sarah Turner, Lugoff-Elgin; Kendall Watson, Cardinal Newman
This story was originally published December 24, 2016 at 12:49 PM.