High School volleyball: Five players to watch

Published 1:30 am Monday, September 12, 2016

Meredith Teague | Monroe

Senior | Outside hitter

Teague was a first-team All-Wesco and a first-team All-Area outside hitter as a junior. She had 208 kills, 49 aces and 18 blocks while helping lead the Bearcats to an undefeated record entering the state tournament. She is being heavily recruited by several colleges, but is still weighing her options.

“She’s an excellent teammate and a very positive and happy individual,” Monroe head coach April Munoz said. “I feel very lucky to be able to coach her.”

Gabby Gunterman | L. Stevens

Senior | Outside hitter

Gunterman, who will continue her volleyball career next fall at Western Washington University, was first-team All-Wesco and second-team All-Area as a junior outside hitter. She is a team captain and had 242 kills, 25 blocks, 25 aces and 125 digs last season.

“This is her fourth year on varsity, so her experience will be very valuable,” Lake Stevens head coach Dawn Hanson said. “She has gained so much confidence between each high school season, which lets her be a great leader on the court. She is a captain again this season, so she will continue in her leadership role and be a very explosive and integral part of our offense, but she also has high expectations from me to be a superior all-around player this season.”

Ally Peterson | Monroe

Senior | Setter

Peterson is a three-year varsity starter who helped lead the team to a Wesco title in 2014 and its first district berth in more than a decade. She was a first-team All-Wesco setter in both 2014 and 2015. Last year she finished with 20 aces, 54 kills, 399 assists and 124 digs.

“Ally has played an instrumental part in changing the direction of the volleyball program at Arlington,” head coach Whitney Williams said. “She is a talented player with a natural ability to lead those she associates with on and off the court. Her relentless dedication along with a commitment to proper fundamentals and mechanics have elevated her to a higher level of play. We are excited to see what she does this season and at the next level.”

Sam Drechsel | CPC-Bothell

Senior | Outside hitter

Drechsel, who has led the Eagles to three straight state-tournament appearances, including a second place finish last season, will continue her volleyball career at the University of Maryland next fall. She is a two-time league MVP, earning the honor by herself as a sophomore and sharing it with Archbishop Murphy’s Sam Hayward as a junior. She has more than 1,400 career kills and more than 700 digs.

“The expectation for Sam this season is the same as for all of our players, do everything in your power to help the team succeed,” Cedar Park-Christian-Bothell head coach and Sam’s mother, Marni Drechsel, said. “Leave everything you have on the court and get better every day. She will continue to be one of our main offensive scorers and relentless defenders.”

Jaime Cymbaluk | A. Murphy

Senior | Outside hitter

Cymbaluk has been all-conference in each of her first three years of high school, including earning first-team all-league honors as a junior outside hitter. She is verbally committed to continue her volleyball career at Point Loma Nazarene University in San Diego next fall.

“Jaime is the dictionary definition of a teammate,” Archbishop Murphy head coach Brandon Jones said. “She always looks to put others before herself. She is the kind of player you can build a program around.”