Clifton Lady Cubs draw All-District 17-3A accolades with Humphreys named Server of the Year; freshman Wise tabbed Blocker of the Year
After winning a playoff game for the first time in 20 years, the Clifton Lady Cubs received the volleyball accolades that came as a result of their third straight trip to the Class 3A state tournament.
Led by senior Kate Humphreys selected as the All-District 17-3A Server of the Year and freshman Brystel Wise named Blocker of the Year, the Lady Cubs placed two more on the first-team, two on the second team, and drew two honorable mentions.
“I was very excited for the girls getting the all-district selections,” Clifton volleyball head coach Joy Holzmann said. “They worked hard all year, and all of them are very deserving of their awards.
It was a great season, and we made almost all the goals that we set at the beginning of the year. It was great to finally win a playoff game and break the 20-year drought.”
Lady Cubs named to the all-district, first-year were senior Brianna Gonzalez and junior Camy Barsh, second-team selections were senior Laylah Gaona and freshman Madison Otter, while junior Brylee Heim and sophomore Addison Martin received honorable mention.
Despite earning a playoff berth for the third straight season by finishing third in District 17-3A behind champion West and runner-up Grandview, Clifton (25-16) won its first postseason match since advancing to the Regional Semifinals in 2003.
Led by Gonzalez, Humphreys and Wise, the Lady Cubs surged to an impressive four-set victory over the Palmer Lady Bulldogs, 25-23, 18-25, 25-16, 25-13, in a Bi-District playoff showdown in Hillsboro before being eliminated by Troy in straight sets, 25-9, 26-24, 25-17, in the Area Playoff matchup.
Against Palmer, Gonzalez led the Lady Cubs with 12 kills, followed by Wise with 10, and Humphreys with nine, while Heim added five kills, and Barsh contributed four. With Otter spreading out the offense, Gaona finished with a 2.2 passing along with 11 digs.
“I was so pleased with our performance against Palmer, and I’m so happy for all the girls, especially our seniors,” Holzmann said. “We have worked all year long to get to this championship. This is one of the goals that we set at the beginning of the year. We wanted to be Bi-District champions, and I’m so glad this team got to experience the championship.”
While nailing 50 service aces while delivering a 95.6 percent successful service rate, Humphreys also contributed 194 kills and 233 digs this season, along with 38 blocks. Wise led the Lady Cubs with 67 blocks and 268 kills while smashing 50 service aces and coming up with 340 digs.
As one of three Lady Cub seniors to make the all-district squad, Gonzalez finished the season with 156 kills, 219 digs, 29 service aces and 20 blocks, while Barsh tallied 142 kills and 57 blocks.
Setting up the offensive attack, Otter finished with a team-high 733 assists along with 155 digs and 53 service aces, while Gaona delivered 41 aces while serving at a 96.3 percent rate and coming up with 175 digs.
Excelling in the classroom as well as the court, the Lady Cubs placed 11 on the Academic All-District Team, including Cameron Ritz, Alyssa Santillan, Taryn Busby, Wise, Barsh, Otter, Gonzalez, Humphreys, Gaona, Martin and Heim.
“I think the season this year was great,” Holzmann said. “We started a little slow just getting to know the girls and the girls developing a chemistry. We kept getting better and better as the year went along. We made several goals for the season and we accomplished almost all of them.
“I’m super proud of winning 25 matches, which is not easy to do. And I’m super proud of the dedication, determination and hard work of all the girls. Of course, breaking the 20-year drought by winning a Bi-District Championship is also a great accomplishment for these young ladies. I’m super proud of everything that they have accomplished this year.”
Photos by SIMONE WICHERS-VOSS
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