The 2017-18 Gatorade State High School Players of the Year have been announced for all 50 states, including the District of Columbia. The 51 athletes selected are among an elite group of players that stood out well beyond their peers this past volleyball season, with many players heading off to major NCAA Division I volleyball programs from the 2018 season.
The Gatorade State Player of the Year has been around since the induction of the award in 1985 and is set out to recognize the nation’s most outstanding high school student-athletes for their athletic excellence, academic achievement and exemplary character. The award is dished out to six sports of each gender.
Among some of the top players honored with the award are South Carolina’s Thayer Hall, who has struck a lot of attention in the past year for her volleyball abilities nationally and internationally. Hall has graduated early from high school to begin her training with the University of Florida this spring, who is coming off a runner-up position in the 2017 NCAA Tournament. Florida hit the jackpot for this upcoming season, with three players being named to the list – Hall, Arkansas’ Haley Warner and Florida’s Marlie Monserez. Penn State, Creighton and Auburn are among other programs that will see multiple players come the fall.
Also coming in is Nicklin Hames out of Tennessee, who will head to the reigning national champions, Nebraska this fall.
Outside of seniors who will be attending their university either this spring or in the fall, there was a mix of juniors and sophomores that received the prestigious honor. While many are undecided on their post-prep plans, there is a number that has snagged up their verbal commitments to elite schools:
- Louisiana’s junior Ellie Holzman to Illinois in 2019
- Indiana’s sophomore Melani Shaffmaster to Minnesota in 2020
- Hawaii’s junior Lexis Akeo to Pittsburgh in 2019
This is Holzman’s second Gatorade Player of the Year honor, being named to the list in 2016.
| State | Player | School | Position | Year | College |
| Alabama | Kenya McQuirter | McGill-Toolen Catholic HS | Outside Hitter | Junior | Undecided |
| Alaska | Zoey Keene | South Anchorage HS | Setter | Senior |
Alaska Fairbanks
|
| Arizona | Brooke Nuneviller | Corona Del Sol HS | Outside Hitter | Senior | Oregon |
| Arkansas | Haley Warner | Fayetteville HS | Opposite | Senior | Florida |
| California | Devon Cheng | Santa Margarita Catholic HS | Setter | Senior | UCLA |
| Colorado | Keeley Davis | Rock Canyon HS | Outside Hitter | Senior | Creighton |
| Connecticut | Alana Hruska | Rham HS | Middle Blocker | Senior | Undecided |
| Delaware | Emily Jarome | Padua Academy | Outside Hitter | Senior | Towson |
| DC | Rebecca Frye | St. John’s College HS | Setter | Senior | James Madison |
| Florida | Marlie Monserez | Bishop Moore Catholic HS | Setter | Senior | Florida |
| Georgia | Gabby Gonzalez | Walton HS | Outside Hitter | Junior | Undecided |
| Hawaii | Lexis Akeo | Kamehameha Schools-Kapalma HS | Setter | Junior |
Pittsburgh (2019)
|
| Idaho | Dani Nay | Skyview HS | Outside Hitter | Senior | Weber State |
| Illinois | Mica Allison | The High School of Saint Thomas More | Setter | Senior | Auburn |
| Indiana | Melani Shaffmaster | New Castle HS | Setter | Sophomore |
Minnesota (2020)
|
| Iowa | Madi Kubik | Valley HS | Outside Hitter | Junior | Undecided |
| Kansas | Taylor Kuper | Olathe Northwest HS | Outside Hitter | Senior | Illinois |
| Kentucky | Rylee Rader | Assumption | Middle Blocker | Sophomore | Undecided |
| Louisiana | Ellie Holzman | Mount Carmel Academy | Middle Blocker | Junior | Illinois (2019) |
| Maine | Molly Mawhinney | Molly Mawhinney | Outside Hitter | Senior | Undecided |
| Maryland | Jenaisya Moore | Northwest HS | Outside Hitter | Junior | Undecided |
| Massachusetts | Emma Smallcomb | Westborough HS | Setter | Senior | Sacred Heart |
| Michigan | Erin O’Leary | Novi HS | Setter | Senior | Michigan |
| Minnesota | McKenna Melville | Eagan HS | Outside Hitter | Senior | Central Florida |
| Mississippi | Callie Minshew | Brandon HS | Outside Hitter | Junior | Undecided |
| Missouri | Gabby Blossom | St. Joseph’s Academy | Setter | Senior | Penn State |
| Montana | Raegan Steiner | Billings Senior HS | Opposite | Senior | Idaho State |
| Nebraska | Jaela Zimmerman | Malcolm HS | Outside Hitter | Senior | Creighton |
| Nevada | Whittnee Nihipali | Shadow Ridge HS | Outside Hitter | Senior | Arizona |
| New Hampshire | Maddie Norris | Hollis-Brookline HS | Outside Hitter | Junior | Undecided |
| New Jersey | Julia Morris | Immaculate Heart Academy | Setter | Senior | Undecided |
| New Mexico | Cat Kelly | Sandia Preparatory School | Outside Hitter | Senior |
New Mexico State
|
| New York | Mackenzie Cole | Connetquot HS | Outside Hitter | Senior | Duke |
| North Carolina | Taylor Rowland | Cox Mill HS | Outside Hitter | Senior | Auburn |
| North Dakota | Megan Gaffaney | Jamestown HS | Setter | Senior | Jamestown |
| Ohio | Jonni Parker | Miami East HS | Setter | Senior | Penn State |
| Oklahoma | Olivia Curtis | Christian Heritage Academy | Outside Hitter | Junior | Undecided |
| Oregon | Chloe Brown | Southridge HS | Outside Hitter | Senior | Miami (FL) |
| Pennsylvania | Renee Schultz | Bishop Shanahan HS | Setter | Senior | Yale |
| Rhode Island | Maile Somera | Barrington HS | Outside Hitter | Junior | Undecided |
| South Carolilna | Thayer Hall | Dorman HS | Outside Hitter | Senior | Florida |
| South Dakota | Avery Thorson | Harrisburg HS | Setter | Senior | Augustana |
| Tennessee | Nicklin Hames | Webb Schoool of Knoxville | Setter | Senior | Nebraska |
| Texas | Adanna Rollins | Hebron HS | Outside Hitter | Senior | Minnesota |
| Utah | Heather Gneiting | Pleasant Grove HS | Middle Blocker | Senior | BYU |
| Vermont | Charlotte Frivoll | Essex HS | Libero | Senior | Undecided |
| Virginia | Elena Shklyar | Langley HS | Setter | Senior | Michigan State |
| Washington | Calley Heilborn | Auburn Riverside HS | Outside Hitter | Senior |
Western Washington
|
| West Virginia | Tessa Wyner | George Washington HS | Outside Hitter | Senior | Virginia Tech |
| Wisconsin | Brooke Anderson | Lake Country Lurtheran HS | Outside Hitter | Senior | Iowa State |
| Wyoming | Madison Vinich | Kelly Walsh HS | Outside Hitter | Senior | Undecided |
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