Introducing the 2021 Fort Worth Star-Telegram high school volleyball all-area awards
Player of the Year
Melanie McGann, Sr., Keller
All District: 4-6A MVP
Her stats: 648 kills, 0.267 hitting, 4.5 kills per set, 47 solo blocks, 55 total blocks
Her stats: 33-10 kill games, 8-20 kill games, Season high 27 vs. Southlake Carroll 10/26
Her season: McGann, a West Virginia signee, elevated her game to another level and helped the Indians to the 4-6A championship and the program’s first trip to the UIL state tournament.
McGann finished with a school-record 648 kills overall, smashing the previous record by over 100, and 119 kills in seven playoff games. She totaled 44 kills in two state tournament games, including 19 in the Class 6A state final against San Antonio Brandeis. McGann was named to the UIL state all-tournament team.
McGann registered 10 or more kills in 33 games this season, including the final 22 matches.
Co-Offensive Player of the Year
Ava Roberts, Sr., Mansfield
All District: 11-6A Co-MVP
Her stats: 650 kills, 4.4 per set, 0.302 hitting, 436 digs, 69 blocks, 53 aces
Her stats: 36-10 kill games, 4-20 kill games, Season high 23 vs. Justin Northwest 8/10, 15 double-doubles
Her season: Roberts, who is signed to play college ball at Dartmouth, was voted co-MVP in 11-6A alongside her teammate Brynn Williams. Roberts and the Tigers captured the program’s third straight district title. Roberts averaged over 15 kills and 0.350 hitting in the playoffs, helping the Tigers to their first regional tournament since 1992.
Co-Offensive Player of the Year
Ella Busey, Jr., Colleyville Heritage
All District: 6-5A Offensive MVP
Her stats: 708 kills, 5.1 per set, 0.294 hitting, 244 digs, 55 aces, 54 blocks
Her stats: 41-10 kill games, 7-20 kill games, Season high 29 vs. Byron Nelson 9/7, 7 double-doubles
Her season: The junior Houston commit had a monster season for the Panthers, going over 700 kills and helped the team to a memorable year. She would finish with the second most kills in the area. Busey helped the Panthers to the 6-5A championship, the toughest district in the Fort Worth-area, a trip to the 5A Region 1 tournament and 40 wins.
Setter of the Year
Morgan Howard, Jr., Colleyville Heritage
All District: 6-5A First Team
Her stats: 1,531 assists, 10.8 per set, 334 digs, 52 aces, 56 total blocks, 93 kills
Her stats: 11 double-doubles, 26-30 assist games, 12-40 assist games, 3-50 assist games, Season high 53 vs. Birdville 10/1
Her season: Howard is one of just three players in the country with 1,500 assists this season and the most in Texas by nearly 60. Howard, in her third varsity season, had a career-year in assists, digs, kills, blocks and aces.
Howard registered 10 or more assists in all but two games and had 159 assists in four playoff games. She averaged nearly 40 per match in the postseason and 12 per set.
Defensive Player of the Year
Audrey Kubiak, Sr., Southlake Carroll
All District: 4-6A First Team
Her stats: 1,011 digs, team-high 52 aces, 95.3 serving, 126 assists
Her stats: 27-20 dig games, 11-30 dig games, 2-40 dig games, Season high 43 vs. Grapevine 8/17
Her season: Kubiak has been waiting to shine for the past two seasons, waiting behind two-time Star-Telegram all-area defensive MVP Keagan Polk.
Polk graduated leaving Kubiak to slide over to the starting libero for the Dragons, who won two playoff games and reached the 6A Region 1 quarterfinals. Kubiak nearly doubled her career total this season, coming in with 520 digs. She finished with the third most digs in the country and most in Texas.
Middle Blocker of the Year
Lindsey Harris, Sr., Eaton
All District: 4-6A Hitter of the Year
Her stats: 413 kills, 3.4 per set, 0.374 hitting, 143 total blocks, 3.5 per match
Her stats: 23-10 kill games, Season high 19 vs. Southlake Carroll 9/28, 23-3 block games, 17-4 block games, Season high 7 six times
Her season: Harris, who is signed on to play at Elon University in North Carolina, helped the Eagles to a 37-4 record and trip to the 6A Region 1 final for the second consecutive season. The 37 wins were a program record in a single season. Harris led Eaton in kills, blocks and hitting percentage.
Harris exceeded her career total in kills coming into the season with 372 during the past two seasons. This year Harris set career highs in kills, kills per set, hitting percentage and blocks.
Utility Player of the Year
Caroline Kahle, Jr., Birdville
All District: 6-5A Co-Utility MVP
Her stats: 580 kills, 4.2 per set, 85 aces, 45 blocks, 752 digs, 32 double-doubles
Her stats: 34-10 kill games, Season high 22 vs. Midlothian 8/27 and vs. Colleyville Heritage 10/1, 16-20 dig games, Season high 29 vs. Weatherford 9/7 and vs. Denton Ryan 10/8, 23 games with multiple aces, Season high 7 vs. Lake Dallas 10/15
Her season: Birdville elite hitter Maya Duckworth missed 14 games this season and Kahle stepped up and put together one of the best seasons in the country. She led the team in kills, aces and digs, and helped the Hawks to the regional quarterfinals.
At the time of Birdville’s last game, Kahle was the only volleyball player from Texas in the nation’s Top 50 in kills and digs, according to MaxPreps. Of the Top 50 in both categories, Kahle was the only player from the country with 500 kills and 600 digs.
Newcomer of the Year
Suli Davis, Fr., Nolan Catholic
All District: TAPPS 1-6A Newcomer of the Year
Her stats: 519 kills, 0.301 hitting, 57 blocks, 36 aces, 220 digs
Her stats: 23-10 kill games, 13-20 kill games, 3-30 kill games, Season high 42 vs. All Saints 10/7, 11 double-doubles
Her season: Davis, a 6-1 outside hitter for the Vikings, had a monster first varsity season to her high school career. Davis was TAPPS all-district and TAPPS all-state first team after leading Nolan in kills.
During a 3-2 win over All Saints, Davis set a TAPPS single game record with 42 kills. She also was voted Star-Telegram DFW high school volleyball player of the week two times this season, the only player to do so.
Co-Coach of the Year
Lauren Rao, Keller
Record: 31-13
District: 4-6A champ
Finish: Class 6A state runner-up
Her season: Rao and the Indians played a tough tournament schedule and posted a 13-12 record by the start of September. Then Keller went on an 18-game winning streak, which included 12-0 to win the 4-6A championship.
Keller reached the state tournament for the first time in program history, won 3-2 in the semifinals and finished as state runner-up. One of its impressive stats came against district opponent Haslet Eaton, beating the Eagles three times this season.
Co-Coach of the Year
Robyn Wallace, Grapevine
Record: 22-18
District: Third place in 6-5A
Finish: Class 5A state runner-up
Her season: Injuries and COVID plagued the season early on for the Mustangs, who began 1-5. By September, Grapevine was 5-12, but the Mustangs finished 17-5 with a trip to their second straight state tournament and best finish in program history.
Wallace, who was also all-area coach of the year last season after taking the team to state, beat four district champs in the playoffs on the way to the 5A state championship. It also included come-from-behind wins in four of seven playoff games.
This story was originally published December 2, 2021 at 6:00 AM.
