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Hogs freshman wins all-star MVP after drive home

Posted Wednesday, Jul. 11, 2012

ARLINGTON -- Elizabeth Fortado had the oddest cleanup duty to polish off her high school volleyball career Wednesday night.

Already enrolled as a freshman at Arkansas, Fortado made the drive home Tuesday to play one last high school game in the Texas Girls Coaches Association All-Star Game at Lamar High School.

All the Flower Mound Marcus graduate did was hammer home 16 kills and collect game MVP honors as the West swept the East, 25-15, 26-24, 25-13.

"It meant a lot to me and my coaches to be here. It was a big honor," Fortado said. "I've always wanted to play a game like this to see how good we could all be."

The West was dominant in all phases, but Fortado's left-handed hitting is something that takes things up a notch. The West was able to mix in different hitting plays and keep the East off balance at the net.

Granbury's Madison Martin, headed to Louisiana-Monroe to play both indoor and beach volleyball, aced out the final two points of the match.

She said it was an incredible experience being matched with so many great players.

"I've played with some of them in the club game, but nothing like this," she said. "It's scary at first, those first few balls are moving pretty fast, but it was a special night and I'm so humbled to have been selected."

Despite serving well and keeping the ball deep, Martin put away three kills of her own during a dicey Game 2 stretch. She also had a block at the net.

Southlake Carroll's Caitlin Nolan worked the backline flawlessly for the West.

After recording 558 digs last season, she was the West's main return specialist with first-bump passes that set up outside hitters.

Nolan will attend Iowa State this fall.

The East made a run in the second game coming back from a 20-15 deficit to tie the score at 24-24.

But Fortado dropped in a winner near the backline. Canyon Randall's Libby Strickland blocked the game-winner.

In Game 3, the East had four unforced errors in falling behind 13-2 and got no closer than nine.