Class of 2025: Contributing HS Freshmen (Los Angeles County)
There is something special about first-year players who step onto the varsity stage and deliver out of the gate. Below, we highlight five Los Angeles County athletes who did just that during the fall high school season. Manaia Ogbechie, 6-1…
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Continue ReadingThere is something special about first-year players who step onto the varsity stage and deliver out of the gate. Below, we highlight five Los Angeles County athletes who did just that during the fall high school season.
Manaia Ogbechie, 6-1 Middle Blocker, Oaks Christian – The Lions’ 10-0 run through the Marmonte League and into the CIF-SS Division 4 playoffs featured plenty of action from Ogbechie, who finished third on the team in kills with 151 kills entering the postseason. She matched a career-high 12 kills in second-round action, a four-set victory against Troy. It was the fourth time Ogbechie recorded 12 kills. In addition, she hit .361 while being among the team leaders in blocks with 77 during the regular season.
Lauren Lynch, 5-6 Libero/DS, Sierra Canyon – The defensive stalwart for the 12-0 Gold Coast League champion Trailblazers is Lynch. She put up 189 digs during the regular season, tops on the roster. She then opened the CIF-SS Division 1 playoffs in style, posting a season-high 23 digs in a five-set thriller over San Clemente. Lynch’s previous high was 15, a mark she reached twice. She also showed her value from the service line, finishing third in aces with 41 during the regular season.
Piper Scherbert, 5-10 Middle Blocker, Flintridge Sacred Heart – The season is over for the Tologs after a first-round defeat to Laguna Beach in the opening round of the CIF-SS Division 2 playoffs. However, Scherbert proved she’ll be a factor in the middle for the next three years. Her 54 blocks during the regular season led the way for the Tologs. She also tacked on 93 kills to help out offensively.
Belen Casillias, 5-7 Outside, Maranatha – Unfortunately, the Minutemen were unable to play their way into the CIF-SS playoffs this season but did find a bright spot moving forward in Casillias. The freshman recorded 160 kills, 109 digs and 19 aces. Twice she registered 15 kills in a match, including in the second-to-last one of the season in beating Gabrielino in four sets.
Sunni Skipps, Outside, Carson – Skipps helped the Colts earn the No. 6 seed in the CIF City Section Division 1 playoffs with the numbers she put up this fall. The rookie had a team-high 196 kills while hitting a team-best .342. She also did her part defensively, gathering a roster-high 147 digs. Her 54 aces were second best. She closed out the regular season with a season-high 22 kills in a sweep against league foe Banning on Oct. 19.
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