The selections are obvious and it’s good to see Serna, Jackson and Lujan get the nod. With so much talent in the metro area, one could easily stack at least one more team with quality players, including Clevelend’s Jordan Bruere. Don’t forget the players from  Class 3A Sandia Prep (Mwaura, Felson) and Hope Christian (Berniklau, Westlake).

Way to go!

First Team

• Sara Hattis, Cleveland, middle
• Cassie House, Cleveland, outside
• Julia Warren, La Cueva, outside
• Sara Weber, St. Pius, outside
• Lindsay Bost, Cleveland, libero
• Brandi Torr, La Cueva, setter

Second Team

• Kaira Lujan, Abq Academy, middle
• Jasmine Serna, St. Pius, setter
• Rachael Bradley, Sandia, outside
• Felicity Jackson, St. Pius, libero
• Marissa Calvillo, Cleveland, outside
• Stephanie Wilson, Cibola, outside

Rosen

Al Rosen, Gadsden’s head coach, will be taking the helm at Centennial High School beginning in May, 2012.

The newest high school in Las Cruces, Centennial’s population will include a cross section from each of the other three high schools, but will impact Las Cruces High the most. The high school will begin the 2012-13 season with primarily a freshmen and sophomore population, and compete in Class 4A for two seasons.

This is Rosen’s first attempt at building a program from scratch, but given his penchant for winning and coaching skills, expect the program to be force in short time.

Courtesy Gatorade

CHICAGO (December 14, 2011) — In its 27th year of honoring the nation’s best high school athletes, The Gatorade Company, in collaboration with ESPNHS, today announced Julia Warren of La Cueva High School as its 2011-12 Gatorade New Mexico Volleyball Player of the Year. Warren is the first Gatorade New Mexico Volleyball Player of the Year to be chosen from La Cueva High School.

The award, which recognizes not only outstanding athletic excellence, but also high standards of academic achievement and exemplary character demonstrated on and off the court, distinguishes Warren as New Mexico’s best high school volleyball player. Now a finalist for the prestigious Gatorade National Volleyball Player of the Year award announced in December, Warren joins an elite alumni association of past state volleyball award winners, including USA Volleyball players Kim Glass (2001-02, Horseshoe HS, Penn.), Kim Willoughby (1998-99, 1999-00, Assumption HS, La.) and Ogonna Nnamani (1999-00, University HS, Ill).

The 6-foot-1 junior outside hitter recorded 618 kills, 455 digs, 78 blocks, 78 service aces and 57 assists this past season while posting a hitting percentage of .445 and leading the Bears (18-4) to the Class 5A state semifinals. The state leader in both kills and digs, Warren is a Class 5A First Team All-State selection and was one of 33 players invited to the USA Volleyball High Performance Women’s Junior A2 Team’s summer camp in July, 2011. She has collected 1,035 kills and 807 digs in her prep volleyball career.

Warren has maintained a 3.0 GPA in the classroom. She has volunteered locally with a literacy-outreach program, as a Special Olympics coach and as part of multiple community service initiatives in association with the Young Life ministry.

“Julia Warren has got a lot of different shots,” said Al Rosen, head coach of Gadsden High. “She’s very powerful. She handles the ball, defends—I even saw her as a setter last year when they were shorthanded. She carried that team, period.”

Warren has verbally committed to play volleyball on an athletic scholarship at the University of New Mexico beginning in the fall of 2013.

The Gatorade Player of the Year program annually recognizes one winner in the District of Columbia and each of the 50 states that sanction high school football, girls volleyball, boys and girls cross country, boys and girls basketball, boys and girls soccer, baseball, softball, and boys and girls track & field, and awards one National Player of the Year in each sport. The selection process is administered by ESPNHS and the Gatorade high school sports leadership team, which work with top sport-specific experts and a media advisory board of accomplished, veteran prep sports journalists to determine the state winners in each sport.

Warren joins recent Gatorade New Mexico Volleyball Players of the Year Nathalie Castellanos (2010-11, Gadsden HighSchool), Halie Harton (2009-10, Goddard) and Kristin Valencia (2008-09, Moriarty) among the state’s list of former award winners.

To keep up to date on the latest happenings, become a fan of Gatorade Player of the Year on Facebook and follow us on Twitter. For more on the Gatorade Player of the Year program, including nomination information, a complete list of past winners, and the announcement of the Gatorade National Player of the Year, visit playeroftheyear.gatorade.com.

Outside Hitters: Erica Rendon (Pojoaque), Macy Mitchell (Portales), Sara Stelzer (Hope Christian), Kristen Wagner (Portales)

Middle Hitters: Lynne Cash (Pojoaque), Kelsey Laruenz (Portales)

Setters: Briana Ainsworth (Pojoaque), Jasmine Evans (Silver)

Libero: Cara Salazar (Pojoaque), Cynthia Armijo (Portales)

Second Team

Outside Hitters: Shannon Glass-Smythe (Sandia Prep), Shelby Carson (Hatch), Davi Martin (Silver), Alexa Chavez (St. Michaels)

Middle Hitters: Dixie Cooper (Sandia Prep), Kelcie Carson (Hatch)

Setters: Elena Saavedra-Buckley (Sandia Prep), Leighton Ervin (Hope Christian)

Libero: Brianna Ortega (Silver), Leticia Varela (Hatch)

Outside Hitters: Hannah Ballew (Artesia), Sarah Weber (St. Pius)

Middle Hitters: Jenna Elkins (Artesia), Kaira Lujan (Abq. Academy)

Setters: Jasmine Serna (St. Pius), Alexis Aguirre (Artesia), Kira Turnham (Moriarty)

Libero: Felictiy Jackson (St. Pius), Courtni Callaway (Artesia)

Second Team

Outside Hitters: Chase Ealey (Los Alamos), Megan Reynolds (Abq. Academy)

Middle Hitters: Katie Hegarty (Piedra Vista), Nicole Jenrette (Los Lunas)

Setters: Savanah Romero (Los Alamos), Elizabeth Sun (Abq. Academy)

Libero: Hannah Dorcey (Moriarty), Danielle Ortiz (Los Alamos)

Outside Hitters: Nathalie Castellanos (Gadsden), Cassie House (Cleveland), Julia Warren (La Cueva)

Middle Hitters: Sara Hattis (Cleveland), Taylor Edmondson (Carlsbad)

Setters: Brandi Torr (La Cueva), Jordan Bruere (Cleveland), Evelyn Hernandez (Gadsden)

Libero: Nicole Enriquez (Gadsden)

Second Team

Outside Hitters: Marissa Calvillo (Cleveland), Shannon Niemeier (Carlsbad), Cristal Quinonez (Gadsden)

Middle Hitters: Sierra Ludington (Las Cruces), Kylie Woods (Alamogordo)

Setters: Diamond Morrill (Carlsbad), Haley Ng (Rio Rancho)

Libero: Lindsay Bost (Cleveland)

Read more

Carlsbad's Shannon Niemeier

Carlsbad’s southpaw OH, Shannon Niemeier, has verbally committed to play for Western New Mexico University.

Niemeier, who also had offers from West Texas A&M, Highlands and Odessa College, will join her cousin Diamond Morrill, who gave her commitment to the Mustangs earlier this season.

Good luck, Shannon!

Note: These rankings are taken directly from the New Mexico High School Coaches Association web site.

Class 5A

Class 4A

Class 3A

Class 2A

Class 1A

Class 1B

Note: These rankings are taken directly from the New Mexico High School Coaches Association web site.

Class 5A

Class 4A

Class 3A

Class 2A

Class 1A

Class 1B