Audrey Frolich: Herald Volleyball Player of the Year

Published 6:10 pm Thursday, December 4, 2014

Standing just 5-foot-7, Arlington’s Audrey Frolich isn’t your typical outside hitter.

“When you look at her, she’s just a little thing,” Arlington head coach Whitney Williams said. “She doesn’t look like she’s one of those incredible outside hitters that comes with a lot of power.”

But ask any of the Arlington’s opponents this season and they will tell you Frolich certainly packs a punch. The senior led the Eagles in kills and helped them finish with a 9-3 league record, tied for second place with Oak Harbor and Edmonds-Woodway behind Shorewood in Wesco 3A.

Frolich’s outstanding senior season has earned her The Herald’s All-Area Volleyball Player of the Year award.

“I knew Audrey was really, really good and I also knew that we had the personnel to help her shine,” Williams said. “I think this award is so well-deserved for her. It kind of encompasses everything that she’s done and everything that she’s dedicated her time to the last four years of her high school career.”

Frolich was on the varsity all four years of high school, starting in the back row as a defensive specialist as a freshman.

“That was more of a learning experience that year,” she said. “I got to play quite a bit, but I wasn’t really involved with all the other players.”

As a sophomore, she moved to outside hitter under new coach Chad Palmiter. Frolich said her skills and her leadership abilities both improved under Palmiter. Wins, though, were few and far between. Arlington won just two matches during Frolich’s sophomore year and three her junior season.

Going into her senior year, the Eagles changed coaches again, with Williams taking over for Palmiter.

One of the first things the new coach noticed was Frolich.

“When I got hired, we did a camp and I saw her and I thought, ‘How has Arlington not won more volleyball games?’” Williams said. “She was such a leader on the court. That was the first time I’d met her at this camp and she automatically stood out to me.”

Led by Frolich, the Eagles won 12 matches and fell just one victory shy of a berth in the 3A state tournament.

“It’s definitely a first step for the program,” Frolich said. “Our coach really turned everything around this year. The first day she came in during summer workouts and she told us that we’re winning state this year. That was a goal of ours, to keep on improving and not settle each game.”

Frolich’s leadership became the catalyst for the quick turnaround, though Williams said Frolich’s teammates and previous coaches played key roles as well.

“I’d hate to put it just on Audrey because I think all of these girls have really bought into what I was selling from the very beginning,” Williams said. “They were really hungry for some success. Audrey was one that I had met with. Two days after I got hired I met with her. I called her and I said, ‘This is who I am and this is what I want to do.’ She was on board and she was kind of pushing my vision through everybody else. … I can’t take all the credit myself. The previous coaches have done a great job to prepare them.”

Frolich averaged 19.9 kills per match, but individual statistics never concerned her.

“It’s great to see the stats afterwards and to see how well I passed or how bad I passed or how well I hit, but when I see the stats in the paper, it’s better to see if we all are about equal,” Frolich said. “Normally in practice we are. I think it’s better for the team success. It’s great to get kills, but to have the setter set me a good ball to get kills, I like that.”

Williams said Frolich’s legacy will be in helping turn around the Arlington program.

“For my first year, I couldn’t have asked for a better captain and a better leader of the team and a better senior to come in and really help kind of leave a legacy,” Williams said. “I’ve been super fortunate to be able to have a player like her help push the vision of what Arlington volleyball can be. She’s started something.

“I’m so sad to lose her, but I’m really excited about the future of the program and what her and her teammates were able to start this year.”

Aaron Lommers covers prep sports for The Herald. Follow him on Twitter at @aaronlommers and contact him at alommers@heraldnet.com.