Class 3A: The Elite Scorers

<p>Scoring is a key aspect of the game of volleyball. It doesn’t matter how good a team is in defense or if it has a great setter, if it doesn’t score points there’s no way it will win a match. Even though a good offense is the one that involves at least a few players, some hitters naturally are more used by their teams due to their great efficiency and these are five athletes who had these roles at the Class 3A in 2019 and will likely carry the same loads again next season.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="96984" first="Tia" last="Allen"] – Outside Hitter – Senior – Mt. Spokane</strong></p> <p>[player_tooltip player_id="96984" first="Tia" last="Allen"] has been a stud for Mount Spokane in each of her three years of high school volleyball. Last year she took it to another level and was awarded as the division’s Player of the Year after helping the Wildcats winning a second-straight State Championship title. A double-double machine, the 5’10” outside hitter was a difference-maker in the final against Capital, when she registered 14 kills. She’s fifth at prepdig.com’s class of 2021 rankings.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>Devyn Oestreich – Outside Hitter – Senior – Capital</strong></p> <p>Devyn Oestreich was one of the forces that took Capital all the way to the State Championship final last year. The 5’11” outside hitter had her best offensive season to date, adding 270 kills and an impressive 41.1 kill percentage for the Cougars. She also had 13 kills in the final against Mount Spokane. An All-State second-team selection two years ago, she gave another step forward in 2019 and made it to the first team.</p> <p><strong> </strong></p> <p><strong>Emily Melkenburg – Outside Hitter – Junior - Arlington</strong></p> <p>Emily Melkenburg did a great job in sharing Arlington’s scoring load in 2019 with star senior Arianna Bilby. As a sophomore, the six-foot outside hitter contributed to the Eagles with 228 kills (and a team-best 46.3 kill percentage) and was one of the reasons they finished sixth at the State Championship. Her efforts were rewarded with an All-State team honorable mention.</p> <p><strong> </strong></p> <p><strong>Madison Nichols – Middle-Blocker – Senior – Capital</strong></p> <p>Madison Nichols was one of the few middle-blockers to have great offensive responsibilities with their teams in the division last year. Capital was fortunate to have the 5’8” prospect on their team as she tallied 222 kills and had a great performance at the net with a 47.2 kill percentage. A key member of the Cougars’ second-place campaign, she was selected for the All-State first team.</p> <p><strong> </strong></p> <p><strong>Jaydia Martin – Outside Hitter – Senior – Hudson’s Bay</strong></p> <p>Being an All-State second-team selection in a season in which your team didn’t qualify for the State Championship is no easy task, but it’s exactly what Jaydia Martin did in 2019. Hudson’s Bay’s inconsistent campaign didn’t stop the 5’11” outside hitter from showing her best game and the multi-sport student-athlete left no doubt about what her heavy arm can do to opponents.</p>