1A State Finals: Impact Players
The 1A State Championship match last weekend was between the returning State champions North Douglas High School, who came into the tournament seeded 7th and pushed past the 2nd and 3rd seeded teams to make the finals, and the undefeated,…
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Continue ReadingThe 1A State Championship match last weekend was between the returning State champions North Douglas High School, who came into the tournament seeded 7th and pushed past the 2nd and 3rd seeded teams to make the finals, and the undefeated, offensive powerhouse Damascus Christian School.
The match was incredibly close, with the Damascus Christian Eagles coming back from a two set deficit to win the match in five sets (17-25, 17-25, 25-11, 25-15, 15-8).
To recap the match, we will be identifying and highlighting players from each team who were impact players for their respective teams. Although the Damascus Eagles came out on top, the North Douglas Warriors also had some athletes with great performances in the match.
NORTH DOUGLAS HIGH SCHOOL
Brooklyn Williams
Brooklyn Williams
Photo: OSAAWilliams, one of the Warriors’ team captains and a versatile athlete, showed off her abilities as an attacker, passer, and setter during the Championship match. She posted 11 kills, 12 assists, 15 digs, 1 block, was 9/9 from the service line, and passed a .962 on serve receive with 25 receptions.
Williams was named to the 1A All-Tournament Second Team.
Brooke McHaffie
Brooke McHaffie
Photo: OSAArnMcHaffie showcased some dominant play from the middle in the State championship match for the North Douglas Warriors. She racked up an impressive 14 kills, hitting a .231. McHaffie also notched 1 block. She was solid from the service line, too, landing 12/14 serves and posting 1 ace for a .857 serving percentage.
McHaffie was named to the 1A All-Tournament Second Team. She was also named as one of two Moda Health Players of the Game.
As a setter and outside hitter for the Warriors, senior Murphy had a solid Championship match. She posted 11 kills on an amazing 43 swings with only 7 errors. Murphy also had 15 assists, 9 aces, and 5 digs. Murphy was instrumental in putting her attackers, namely Williams and McHaffie, in good positions to score.
Murphy was the only athlete from North Douglas who was named to the 1A All-Tournament First Team.
Lailah Ward
Lailah Ward
Photo: OSAArnThe senior libero Ward played steadily in the back row throughout the Warriors’ match. She posted 1 kill, 4 assists, and 1 ace and was 13/13 from the service line. In doing what she does best as her team’s key passer, Ward racked up 15 digs and passed a .967 on serve receive with 29 receptions.
DAMASCUS CHRISTIAN SCHOOL
Sierra Hale
Sierra Hale
Photo: OSAArnSenior Hale had a standout match that helped the Eagles complete their reverse sweep against the Warriors. Playing as a setter and an outside hitter, Hale had 15 kills and a .196 hitting percentage, as well as 20 assists. She also posted 5 aces and was 30/32 from the service line. Defensively, Hale had 16 digs and passed a perfect 1.00 on serve receive with 11 receptions.
Hale was named the other Moda Health Player of the Game alongside McHaffie, and was unanimously voted onto the 1A All-Tournament First Team.
Julia Mitchell
Julia Mitchell
Photo: OSAArnCOMMITTED: Spring Arbor University
Mitchell played solidly out of the middle for the Eagles and showed off her athleticism during the Championship match. She posted 12 kills on 31 total swings for a steady .258 hitting percentage. Mitchell was also strong from the service line, going 18/18 in serves without a single error. She had an impressive 2 blocks, and passed a .889 on serve receive with 16 receptions.
Mitchell was named to the 1A All-Tournament First Team alongside teammate Hale.
Abbigayle Bailey
Abbigayle Bailey
Photo: OSAArnBailey, who ran the Eagles’s offense from the back row and hit from the outside in the front opposite Hale, was also instrumental in Damascus’s reverse sweep. Bailey had 11 kills on 34 total swings with a .206 hitting percentage. She also posted 15 assists and an impressive 17 digs.
Bailey was named to the 1A All-Tournament Second Team.
Lainey Day
Lainey Day
Photo: OSAArnAs just a freshman, Day showed her ability to keep up with her more seasoned teammates and competitors during the Championship match. Day notched 5 kills on 14 total swings for a solid .286 hitting percentage. Day was steady from the service line, too, with 11/11 serves. She also posted 2 blocks, more than any other athlete in the match besides teammate Mitchell.