Girls' volleyball
Players of the Year
Casey Buss, Barnstable
 DIVISION 1 |
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Buss and the Red Raiders took undefeated to the next level by winning not only every match they played (25-0), but every game as well. Buss, the Barnstable captain, recorded 524 assists and a .880 serve percentage as the Red Raiders cruised to the Division 1 state title. Buss finished her senior season with a career mark of 1,231 assists and two state championships. She was also a Massachusetts Coaches Association first team All-Star and an Old Colony League All-Star this season. Buss is an OCL All-Star in doubles tennis. She works with children and the homeless, and plans to study film and communications in college. |
Likica Grceva, Natick
DIVISION 2 |
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Grceva record 173 kills at outside hitter this year, establishing a Natick record, and notched her second Bay State Conference All-Star selection. The two-time Globe All-Scholastic helped the Redmen to an impressive 20-0 regular season. They entered the postseason as the top seed in the MIAA Division 2 Central bracket, but fell, 3-0, to Marlboro in the final. Grceva, the Redmen's captain, was voted team MVP this season. She has competed at the Bay State Games since eighth grade and also plays tennis at Natick High. An honor roll student, Grceva is hoping to attend Colgate in the fall. |
Mary Kate Duffy, Millis
DIVISION 3 |
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Duffy was the centerpiece of a Millis squad that finished the season with an 18-0 record and went on to capture the MIAA Division 3 state championship with a 3-2 win over Turner Falls. She garnered Tri-Valley League MVP and first team All-Star honors this season; it was her fourth All-Star team selection. The Mohawk's captain is also very active off the court, as Duffy is the Youth Advisory Board representative for DARE of America and the SADD President at Millis. She also competes for the track team and is a two-time participant in the Bay State Games. Duffy hopes to attend Boston College in the fall. |
Coaches of the Year
Christine Barrett, Quincy
DIVISION 1 |
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Barrett guided the Presidents to a 17-3 regular season record this fall, and then let them run wild on their opponents in the playoffs. Quincy swept through its first three postseason foes before its rivals to the north, North Quincy, outlasted the Presidents, 3-2, in the Division 1 Central final. Barrett, who was an assistant coach with Quincy for two seasons before taking the reigns in 1998, has compiled a 62-36 record since the 1999 campaign. Quincy's Pilgrim Conference crown was its first since 1990. "This was by far the most exciting season of my coaching career," said Barrett. Barrett, who also coaches the boys' vollyeball team, graduated from Quincy High School in 1991 and St. Bonaventure University in 1995. |
Arunas Kuncaitis, Canton
DIVISION 2 |
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Kuncaitas has done a superb job as the only coach of this three year-old program, going 35-20 over that span. This season, the Bulldogs went 19-2, including the postseason, and won the Hockomock League title. In the playoffs, Canton was the top seed in the Division 2 South bracket, advancing to the final where it was beat by No. 2 seed Case, 3-1. As you would imagine with such a young program, the success is not all on the coach. "I am honored with the selection, but this is not an individual award," he said. "(Assistant coach) Pat Crowley is equally responsible, as are our student-athletes, who came to practice, listened, learned, worked hard, and were fortunate to have everything come together like it did for an excellent season." |
Jay Warren, Millis
DIVISION 3 |
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Warren has turned Millis volleyball into a juggernaut, as the Mohawks have gone 41-4 in two seasons under his guidance. Led by All-Scholastics Sara Thompson and Mary Kate Duffy, this season was shear perfection, as Millis went 18-0 during the regular season, and lost just four games in five postseason matches on its way to the Division 3 state title. Warren, a graduate of Norfolk Aggie in 1988, also coaches the MetroWest Junior Olympic team. "This team had many great points," said Warren. "(They) were hard working, dedicated, strong. But most of all, (they had) fun and believed in what they could do. From the very beginning till the very end they had one team goal and they achieved it." |
The All-Scholastics
Nicole Cahill, Quincy
JUNIOR |
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Cahill is a three-time Pilgrim Conference All-Star. At middle blocker and outside hitter this year she accumulated 149 digs, 246 kills, 25 blocks, and 51 service aces. She was a catalyst for the second-seeded Presidents, who swept their way to the Division 1 Central final before being ousted by North Quincy. Cahill is just as well-rounded academically as she is on the court. She has received a MIAA Gold Medal academic award, and is a National Honor Society member with distinctions for high honors. She is also a member of the Mass Patriots club team. |
Nazareth Cardoso, Brockton
SENIOR |
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Cardosa was a standout for Brockton at outside hitter over her career. She set the school's all-time record for digs in a season (523) with her 273-dig season in 2003. Her 117 kills this year left her third all-time in the Lady Boxer record book. Cardosa was a crucial part of Brockton's playoff run this, which saw the squad advance to the Division 1 South final before being eliminated by rival Barnstable, 3-0. Cardosa earned All-State first team and Big 3 All-Star team honors this year. An honor roll student, Cardosa is in the top 10 percent of her class and plans to attend Dean or UMass-Dartmouth next year. |
Lyndsay Church, Medfield
SENIOR |
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Church was a three-time Tri-Valley League first team All-Star at Medfield. At setter, she led the Warriors to an impressive showing in the Division 3 Central playoffs this fall, as third-seeded Medfield (17-3) swept through the first three rounds before losing to Millis, 3-2, in the final. As team captain this season she was a Massachusetts Coaches Association first team All-Star. She has garnered numerous academic awards over her career, including the Spanish Honor Society, the Who's Who among American High School Students, and the National Society of High School Scholars. Church, who also plays basketball at Medfield, is also Student Council President and the principal cellist in the Medfield High School orchestra. She is undecided about college. |
Whitney Davis, Barnstable
SENIOR |
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Davis was one of the key components of the Barnstable juggernaut that didn't lose a single game this season on the road to the Division 1 state title. An outside hitter and defensive specialist, Davis led the team in digs with 243 and in serving percentage at 97-percent. She also recorded 130 kills and has been named to the Old Colony League All-Star team. Davis excells at tennis as well, a sport in which she is a two-time Globe All-Scholastic. She is considering Fairfield and Skidmore. |
Alex Fanuele, Case
SENIOR |
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Fanuele was dominant at outside hitter over her career at Case, where she holds the school record for kills. She led her squad to the South Coast Conference title this season and a strong postseason performance. The Cardinals (21-4 overall) won the Division 2 South bracket before falling to Marlboro, 3-1, in the state championship match. Fanuele, an honor roll student, also plays tennis and track at Case. She is a Bay State Games participant and a Wendy's High School Heisman nominee. She is undecided on a college, but plans on majoring in speech and language pathology. |
Marianne Foley, Melrose
SENIOR |
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Foley is a two-time Middlesex League All-Star and was selected to the North Shore League All-League team as well as its co-Player of the Year this season. The middle hitter led Melrose (22-2 overall) to the Division 2 state semifinals before the Red Raiders fell to eventual champion Marlboro, 3-2. Foley recorded 198 kills this season, bringing her career total to 462. She finished her career having played in 67 consecutive matches, dating back to her sophomore year. An honor roll student, Foley is also the captain of the basketball team at Melrose. She is a two-time league all-star in that sport. |
Bethany Forrest, Sacred Heart
SENIOR |
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Forrest, a setter, led her squad to an 17-3 regular season record this year and the Mayflower League title. The Saints bowed out in the semifinals of the Division 3 South tournament, losing to Bourne, 3-0. A cocaptain at Sacred Heart, Forrest was a league All-Star this season and had a serve percentage over 90-percent. For career she ranks in the top 10 at Sacred Heart in assists, digs, and serving percentage. Forrest also participates in track and field, where she holds the school record in the shotput and throws discus. Forrest, a National Honor Society member and a Who's Who Among American High School Students, is undecided about college. |
Sheila Giovannini, AC
SENIOR |
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Giovannini is a three-time Catholic Conference All-Star and captain of Arlington Catholic. The Massachusetts State Coaches Association All-State team member led AC to the top seed in the Divison 2 North playoffs with a 20-0 regular season record. The Cougars bowed out in the North final, 3-0, to Melrose. Giovannini was named to the New England High Performance Team in 2002 and 2003. She is also a captain on the swimming team. She is a National Honor Society member and is ranked seventh out of 180 students in her class. Giovannini has signed a letter of intent with Colgate University. |
Raechel Jackson, Milton
SENIOR |
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Jackson finished this season with a serving percentage of 97 and averaged 25 assists per match. The two-year captain was a three-time Bay State League All-Star and finished her career with a serving percentage of 94 and 1,339 assists. Jackson is also a league all-star and captain for the softball team. She is a National Honor Society member and a National Merit Scholarship semifinalist. Jackson enjoys music and writing and is undecided about college but plans to continue her volleyball career in the fall. |
Ashley McLaughlin, Andover
SENIOR |
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McLaughlin's play at middle hitter this season helped Andover accumulate an 18-3 regular season record, earning the Golden Warriors the top seed in the Division 1 North playoffs, where they advanced to the final before being knocked out by Chelmsford, 3-1. McLaughlin earned her second consecutive team MVP award this season and was named the Merrimack Valley Conference Division 1 Player of the Year. She is also a standout on the basketball team at Andover, earning a Street & Smith All-American honorable mention during the Golden Warriors Division 1 state championship run. McLaughlin, a National Honor Society member, will attend Holy Cross and play basketball. |
Sara Thompson, Millis
SENIOR |
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Thompson was a middle blocker for Millis this season, helping her team to an 18-0 regular season record and the top seed in the Division 3 Central playoffs. Thompson and the Mohawks went on to win the Division 3 state title over Turner Falls, 3-2. She was a three-time Tri-Valley League first team All-Star and a two-time member of the New England High Performance Volleyball team. Thompson also plays tennis at Millis and is an honor roll student. A Bay State Games participant in 2002, Thompson plans to attend college in New England and to continue her volleyball career at the next level. |
Holly Young, D-Y
SENIOR |
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Young provided excellent leadership for the Dennis-Yarmouth squad this year during a 17-5 regular season run that earned the Dolphins the ninth seed in the Division 1 South playoffs. Unfortunately for the Dolphins, that road led them to a meeting with Barnstable in the second round and a 3-0 ousting. Young, an outside hitter and setter, was a stalwart for D-Y during the season with an ace-to-errors ratio of 3.13 when serving, a .409 kill percentage, and 132 kills. She is also an Atlantic Coast League All-Star in tennis and track and field. She won a gold medal in volleyball at the Bay State Games in 2003 and is undecided about college. |
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The All-Scholastic girls' volleyball team was selected by the school sports staff. Selection is limited to MIAA schools that compete in EMass leagues. Text by Joe Vieira. Photos by Kathleen Johnson.
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