High School Top Performers: 2A/2B Divisions

<p>The high school volleyball season continues at full pace in the state of Washington. After several months of wait and uncertainty, it has been great to see these student-athletes being able to get on the court again and doing what they love.</p> <p>It is, however, a shortened season and in a little over three weeks it will have come to an end already. Knowing that, we certainly don’t want to waste any time and will continue with our weekly articles highlights the players who have been doing a great job in each of the state’s six divisions.</p> <p>Let’s give a good look at the 2A and 2B divisions now.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong><u>2A</u></strong></p> <p><strong>Jordyn Smith – Outside Hitter – Burlington-Edison – 2022</strong></p> <p>Jordyn Smith provided an important offensive spark for Burlington-Edison during the season. The 5’8” outside hitter played bigger than her size to give the Tigers a strong presence at the net and ended the season with 126 kills. She also played an important role in the team’s backcourt efforts with 131 digs and 132 passes.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="96996" first="Mackenzie" last="Gilchrist"] – Right Sider – Woodland – 2021</strong></p> <p>[player_tooltip player_id="96996" first="Mackenzie" last="Gilchrist"]’s serving power gave a good lift to Woodland’s campaign this season as the setter generated as many as 31 direct points for the Beavers, averaging 0.7 per set. Her diversified game helped Gilchrist excelling in her dual role as she handed out 242 assists (5.8 per set) and also produced on her offensive role at the net with the team’s fourth-best mark of 36 kills. She ranks 17th on our 2021 Prep Dig State Rankings.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>Ariana Bickley – Defensive Specialist – Anacortes - 2022</strong></p> <p>Ariana Bickley’s strong defensive game gave Anacortes some much-needed solidness in the backcourt. The 5’2” defensive specialist stepped up to her role and delivered a prolific season with the Seahawks, one in which she tallied 166 digs and 172 passes to go with her 16 aces.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong><u>2B</u></strong></p> <p><strong>Kayla Paine – Outside Hitter – Asotin – 2022</strong></p> <p>Scoring points wasn’t an issue for Kayla Paine as the third-year outside hitter registered a team-high 92 for Asotin this season, nearly half of the team’s entire production. One of the team’s captains, she also led the Panthers in aces with 25, was second in passes with 142 and third in digs with 41.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>Celeste Santellano – Setter – Walla Walla Valley Academy – 2022</strong></p> <p>A 5’2” setter, Celeste Santellano focused on her strengths to find ways to help Walla Walla Valley Academy during the season. If her game at the net had obvious limitations, she made the most of her skillset at the backcourt, registering impressive 46 aces and 28 digs. Her ball-handling skills were also effective, generating 131 assists for the Knights.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>Kylee Cuffe – Outside Hitter – Cle Elum-Roslyn – 2022</strong></p> <p>Not many players are able to produce when their teams are in a bad run of form but Kylee Cuffe kept her game solid despite Cle Elum-Roslyn’s missteps during the season. Cuffe’s stats were compiled in five matches of the season, four of which the Warriors lost, and she still managed to produce 29 kills, 14 aces and 40 digs.</p>