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.

Williamson Named to Capital One Academic All-America First Team

Dec. 15, 2011

TOWSON, Md. – University of New Mexico senior Kelly Williamson was selected to the 2011 Capital One Academic All-America® Division I Volleyball First Team today. Williamson is the first-ever repeat recipient in program history, as she was named to the academic All-America third team last year. She is also the first Lobo volleyball athlete ever to be selected to the academic All-America first team.

“It’s a great honor,” Williamson said. “I would never have achieved it without the support of my team, coaches, professors, parents and the incredible academic support staff at UNM. I would like to give special thanks to Katie Scanlon, my academic advisor, who kept me on track to graduate and was someone I could always turn to for great advice. I would also like to thank my parents who instilled good work ethic and passion into me from a young age. Thanks go out to my professors, who have challenged me to go beyond the classroom to discover my love for science and the environment and to my team and coaches who have made my experience at UNM so unforgettable.”

The award is a true testament to what hard work and dedication in the classroom can bring. Williamson is the epitome of what a student athlete should strive to be. Her relentless diligence finally paid off in the form of an academic All-America first team selection. The award should come as now surprise when looking at Williamson’s track record.

First and foremost, Williamson was named a Rhodes Scholar Candidate in 2010. She has made UNM’s Dean’s List all three years she has attended UNM. She is one of the UNM Student Athlete Advisory Committee Representatives. And she is involved in student government as a senator in ASUNM.

Williamson is a Conservation Biology major with a 4.00 G.P.A. and is a three-time member of the All-MW Academic team. Last June, Williamson competed in the USA Challenge Invitational Tournament for the Bring it Promotions (BIP)/USA Development Team. BIP, in conjunction with USA Volleyball, sent two teams of top-level collegiate players to compete in the event in Beijing, China. She was also named the Lobo Club Student-Athlete of The Year for community service contributions as well as academic excellence.

The 6-2 outside hitter also earned her stripes on the court this season, as she was a first team All-Mountain West selection. The Buenos Aires, Argentina, native led the Lobos to a 14-15 record and was second on the team with 3.64 kills per set, while averaging 1.51 digs per set.

To paint an even brighter picture of Williamson’s academic achievements you would have to start by mentioning the fact she was named a Rhodes Scholar candidate in 2010. She has made UNM’s Dean’s List all three years she has attended UNM. She is one of the UNM Student Athlete Advisory Committee Representatives and is also involved in student government as a Senator in ASUNM.

Williamson’s societal contributions don’t just start and stop with academic accolades and on court success. Staying true to her conservation biologist background, the activist in her came out while at UNM. During her time as a Lobo, Williamson organized annual “Green Games” during her playing career. The aim of the events was to ensure that everyone gained an understanding of how sustainability can be incorporated into their daily lives.

Head coach Jeff Nelson summed everything up by adding, “”Kelly is our first two-time academic All-American, she works really hard at everything she does and is exceptional in the classroom. She really leads our team in terms of classroom and community service and I think she’s really deserving of the award. I don’t know anyone in that group that’s worked harder and that has been more involved on campus and in everything else. I’m really excited for her and it’s exciting to have her win it two years in a row.”

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)

Rhoades will look to help fill some holes on the depleted UNM roster that have been ravaged by injuries.

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!