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

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!

Nathalie Castellaños

Looks like Castellanos just can’t keep out of the news; this time for being the Las Cruces Sun-News’ Athlete of the Year.

Nathalie, who earned the nod for AOY, was in consideration alongside some top-notch talent, including Mayfield basketball standout Elena Holguin.

Read more on the Las Cruces Sun-News site.

Congrats to Julia Warren for being selected to the 2011 USA Volleyball High Performance Indoor National Girls’ Youth A2 Program (GYA2).

Warren was one of 33 athletes invited to train and compete for positions on one-of-three strength tiered teams. Preparation for the international competition in Tucson, Arizona take place July 20-25; the competition takes place July 26-30.

Teams will compete in either the International Junior Division, International Youth Division or the National Youth Division opposing other USA teams, Region HP teams, and international teams. The GYA2 coaching staff consists of:

• Head Coach – Shelton Collier, Wingate Univ.
• Asst. Coach – Mike Gee, Golden Bear
• Asst. Coach – Christy Pfeffenberger, Asst Coach Xavier Univ.
• Asst. Coach – Sally Polhamuss, Asst Coach Univ. Florida
• Asst. Coach – Lauren Steinbrecher, Head Coach James Madison Univ.
• Asst. Coach – John Xie, Volunteer Asst. Coach USC Men’s and Women’s

The La Cueva OH will have a busy summer, as she prepares to compete in the 2011 Girls Junior National Championships with her club team, the NM Jr’s 17 Jeff squad. The Nationals take place June 25-July 4 in Atlanta, Georgia.

Way to go Julia!

MacKenzie Clark, surrounded by her parents, coaches and team mates, signs her NLI with Weber State

Congrats to Mackenzie Clark, who recently signed to Weber State.

Clark, a 6-foot-1 outside hitter and native of Albuquerque, N.M., joins Weber State out of Rio Rancho High School in Albuquerque, where she helped guide the Rams to three consecutive 5A semifinal appearances and the 2009 state 5A championship. Clark is a three-year letterwinner in volleyball and a two-year letterwinner in tennis and played with the New Mexico North All-Star Team. She also competed with the USA Women’s Junior Continental Team and competed at the USA High Performance Championships in July of 2010.

“I think Mackenzie is capable of garnering playing time soon,” Peterson. “She can hit the ball hard, and, if she can adjust to the college level quickly, with everything else, her good arm may allow her to score us a lot of points.”

Clark, who’s been ballin’ it up with the mighty El Paso Wildfire during the 2011 club season, has proven that she can get the job done. Under the tutelage of two of New Mexico’s best, Manzanares and Rosen, Weber State head coach Tom Peterson will be inheriting a dynamic player who knows how to win.

Weber State University, home of the Wildcats, is located in Ogden, Utah. Going 4-27 and 2-14 in the Big Sky Conference in 2010, first year head coach Peterson will have his work cut out for him. Although the Wildcats have nine letterwinners returning, look for Clark to make her presence immediately known.

Good luck, Mackenzie!