COLUSA COUNTY, CA (MPG) – With the conclusion of the 2023 volleyball season, the Northern Section has released its respective All-League squads, which includes nine local players.
Here’s a look at the athletes who received recognition for their efforts this year:
MAXWELL
2nd Place Mid-Valley League Junior Fatima Cano led the Panther contingent being selected as the MVL’s co-MVP. Recording 284 kills, Cano was one of the section’s top blockers and second on the team with 65 aces.
Joining Cano on the All-MVL squad were seniors Bailee Haywood and Emma Hendrix.
Haywood, over her career for the blue and gold, has been the anchor in the back row and finished her final season with 398 digs, which was tops in the MVL and good for eighth overall in the Northern Section.
For her part, Hendrix led the league in aces with 72, handed out 299 assists, then additionally made 170 kills.
Maxwell, the runner up in both the NSCIF Division VI and the NorCal Division VI Regional championships, finished the season 27-5 overall.
COLUSA
3rd Place Sacramento Valley League Despite finishing third in the SVL behind East Nicolaus and Willows, the RedHawks made it to the second round of the CIF Division V State Volleyball Championships, ending the year with a 26-13 overall record.
A big part of the RedHawks’ success rested with their two All-League picks, senior Elle Faris and junior Addison Lay, each of whom played all the way around.
In her final season for Colusa, Faris tallied 343 kills, 339 assists, 330 digs, 99 aces, and 55 blocks.
Lay’s final stats for the year included 538 assists, 329 kills, 315 digs, 104 aces, and 40 blocks.
PIERCE
4th Place Sacramento Valley League Senior Laura Rivera and junior Macey Myers received All-SVL nods for the first time in their careers in 2023.
Rounding out her career for the Bears, Rivera posted career best numbers with 161 kills and 23 aces and all around playing some of her best volleyball.
A fixture in the back row, Myers’ 403 digs was second in the SVL and seventh overall in the Northern Section, in addition to making 572 service receptions.
Pierce (18-13) made it to the second round of the
NSCIF Division IV playoffs, where they suffered a loss to No. 1 seeded Willows.
WILLIAMS
4th Place Mid-Valley League A young ‘Jacket team struggled through some
growing pains this season, but got admirable performances from its All-MVL selections, senior Mia Rivera and junior Giselle Navarro.
One of the county’s best players, Rivera’s 300 kills were tops in the MVL and pushed her career total to 545.
She additionally served 59 aces, made 40 blocks and was stellar in the back row although no dig statistics were available.
In her first varsity season for the Yellowjackets, Navarro dished out 361 assists and served 21 aces.
Williams ended the season with an overall record of 18-13, after being knocked out of the NSCIF Division IV playoffs in the first round by Pierce.