Class 3A: The Early All-State Team

High school volleyball won’t start in Washington until March, but we’re all so much ready for it! We can’t help but think about which teams will play the best volleyball and which players will set themselves apart from the competition when the balls are finally allowed to start flying. It’s way too early, I know, but here are my best guesses about who will make it to the All-State Team in the class 3A next season. Telia Allen - Setter – Junior – Mt. Spokane Telia Allen guided Mount Spokane to State Championships victories in each of her two seasons with the team. On both occasions, she was an All-State team selection, making it to the second team in 2018 and to the first last year, when she was a key part of the Wildcats’ victory over Capital in the final with 22 assists and 17 digs. The 5’10” setter is very precise on her distribution and knows just the right moment to use each of her hitters.   [player_tooltip player_id="96984" first="Tia" last="Allen"] – Outside Hitter – Senior – Mt. Spokane Telia’s older sister Tia has been a key player for back-to-back champions Mount Spokane in each of her three seasons of high school volleyball. Last year she was considered the best player in the entire division and secured the Player of the Year Award after she helped the Wildcats downing Capital at the final with 14 kills. A very promising prospect, the 5’10” outside hitter ranks fifth at prepdig.com’s class of 2021 ranking.   Devyn Oestreich – Outside Hitter – Senior – Capital Devyn Oestreich was an offensive force for the Capital team that appeared on last year’s State Championship final. A two-time All-State team member – she was part of the second team in 2018 and was selected for the first team in 2019 -, the 5’11” outside hitter added 270 kills, 55 aces, 220 digs and 404 passes for the Cougars last season. Despite of the setback in the final, she performed well for Capital, registering 13 kills.   Emily Melkenburg – Outside Hitter – Junior - Arlington Emily Melkenburg was a revelation for Arlington last year. The six-foot outside hitter was a key player for the Eagles, putting up some very impressive numbers, such as 228 kills (and a team-best 46.3 kill percentage), 87 aces, 117 digs and 172 passes. Her efforts helped Arlington finish sixth at the State Championship and were rewarded with an All-State team honorable mention and her inclusion on prepdig.com’s class of 2022 watch list.   Madison Nichols – Middle-Blocker – Senior – Capital Madison Nichols checked all boxes for State Championship finalists Capital last season. The 5’8” middle-blocker had a significant impact on both the team’s offense, with 222 kills and 42 aces, and defense, where she contributed with 50 blocks and a team-high 238 digs. Her all-around game with the Cougars took her to the All-State first team.   Eva Atkins – Middle-Blocker – Junior – Roosevelt Eva Atkins’ strong game at the net was one of the factors that took Roosevelt to a fourth-place at last year’s State Championship. That’s probably exactly what you’d expect from a 6’3” middle-blocker, but Atkins might have just exceeded expectations with a 210-kill, 97-block season with the Roughriders. Her effective play led her to receive an All-State team honorable mention.   [player_tooltip player_id="97012" first="Taylor" last="Miche"] – Libero/Defensive Specialist – Senior – Mt. Spokane [player_tooltip player_id="97012" first="Taylor" last="Miche"] was the floor general of Mount Spokane’s championship-winning team in 2019. The five-foot libero was outstanding at the backcourt and provided important support for the team’s offense to flow. The State Championship final against Capital was a good example of Miche’s importance for the Wildcats as her 35 digs played a key role in the team’s win. For all of these reasons, she was an All-State first team member and was ranked 33rd at prepdig.com’s class of 2021 ranking.