The Cupertino Courier
Sports
Homestead's Fischer is named the top junior volleyball player
By Mike Barnhart
After putting together the best girls volleyball season in school history, several Homestead team members have been honored for their personal accomplishments by the Santa Clara Valley Athletic League De Anza Division coaches.
Outside hitter Katherine Fischer, whose powerful game carried the Mustangs to their first Central Coast Section championship and a second-place finish in the Northern California Division I regional tournament, was named Outstanding Junior and was one of five Homestead players selected to the all-De Anza first team.
In all, the coaches recognized 33 players from the division's seven schools. Homestead had five of the 23 first team selections. Division champion Palo Alto had four, including Most Valuable Player Hillary Ford. Four Mountain View players, one from Los Altos, two from Saratoga and three each from Los Gatos and Gunn also were recognized among the league's best.
Other Mustangs joining Fischer on the first team were junior setter Melissa Cheng and three seniors, outside hitter Lauren Hoopes and middle blockers Justine Wales and Allie Fickett. Teammate Tori Carroll, one of nine honorable mention picks, shared the Outstanding Sophomore award with Caroline Walters of Los Gatos.
The first team included Outstanding Freshman award winner Hanna Nielsen of Saratoga and sophomore teammate Coley Gragnola and Los Gatos' trio of senior outside hitter Ari Gould, junior libero Ashton Senner and junior opposite hitter Liz Trambley.
Two Los Gatos players, senior middle blocker Whitney Cameron and junior outside hitter Jen Anderson, and Saratoga junior middle blocker Kiersten Dolbec earned honorable mention.
Kao, Narcisa top list
A pair of talented seniors headed the list of 31 players honored by the SCVAL El Camino Division coaches. Libero Marielle Narcisa, who often provided the spark for division champion Lynbrook's attack, and middle blocker Katie Kao, the power supply for Cupertino's offense, were chosen co-Most Valuable Players.
Sophomore opposite hitter Sharon Hao and three seniors, middle blocker Kaila Zamagni, setter Dury Kim and outside hitter June Choi, all were tabbed to the all-league team, after helping Lynbrook go undefeated, 12-0, in El Camino play.
Three Cupertino standouts were tabbed to the first team: senior middle blocker Brianna Conroy, junior setter Jennifer Riland and junior outside hitter Ana Pischl. Other first-team picks included senior middle blocker Jessica Barry and senior defensive specialist Paulina Dao of Monta Vista, junior setter Amy Chwa of Fremont and juniors Christina Montez and Megan Kusaba of Wilcox.
The honorable mention list included senior Joelle Buscher of Cupertino, junior Danica Tarabanovic and sophomore Justine Wozniak of Fremont, senior Jennifer Yeh of Lynbrook, sophomores Audrey Lee and Nicole Dao of Monta Vista, and senior Ashley Kaul of Wilcox.