Knoll makes All-State volleyball list
District 7B released the All-Conference
and All-State lists for the 2010 volleyball season and topping them
was Bigfork’s Mallery Knoll.
“Mallery is a great all-around player
who was universally recognized as one of the top players in the
league by the district coaches,” said Tracy Wicklund, Bigfork’s
head volleyball coach.
Knoll, a senior, was named to the
All-State list, and subsequently first team All-Conference, along
with two other girls from 7B — Mission’s Adessa Durglo and
Eureka’s Selene Elster.
Bigfork’s Melissa VanDerveer, a junior,
made second team All-Conference having missed being on the first
team list by just two votes, according to Wicklund.
“Melissa was recognized as the second
best middle hitter/blocker in the district by the coaches,”
Wicklund said.
Also, making the cut from Bigfork was
senior Hannah Barrett, who was given honorable mention.
“Hannah was a great setter and the
Vals’ most consistent server over the year, so I was very happy for
her to be recognized by the committee of coaches,” Wicklund
said.
The first-year head coach for the
Valkyries said she was not only happy to see these girls be
recognized for their work on the court, but that she was also
pleased with what it said about the team as a whole.
“At the beginning of the season, we
were inexperienced at the varsity level, and I don’t think we
really scared anybody because of the heavy senior class we had
lost,” Wicklund said. “Filling the shoes of that senior class was
not going to be easy, but led by these three selections, we were
able to come out and hold our own and finish the regular season
7-3. To come out and win against some of these teams early on was
unexpected to some, but the girls believed in themselves and had a
good season. The selections prove that other teams in the district
are going to be very strong next year with several underclassmen
earning All-Conference, and we need to work very hard over the
summer.”
The Vals will again have some
rebuilding to do next year as they will lose seven players to
graduation in June, all of whom Wicklund said will be tough to
replace.
“The loss of Mallery, Hannah and all of
my seniors will be difficult,” Wicklund said. “I am so proud of the
way these girls handled themselves on and off the court.
“Next year’s Vals need to work hard to
fill the shoes of these valuable members of the team.”