LANGLEY — Pandemic or not, Varsity Letters has never failed to deliver what has become one of our most eagerly-anticipated features, and that’s why we’re happy to bring you our 13th straight edition of B.C.’s Top 15 high school volleyball players.
Last year, even with the entire season cancelled due to COVID, our unflappable panel of coaches still got together and produced their list.
This year, as flooding complicated matters and the provincial championships got pushed into December, we were delayed in our efforts. Yet once again, B.C.’s university coaches, from SFU, UBC, UBC Okanagan, UFV, Trinity Western and Thompson Rivers, have come through.
Today we present the girls Top 15 list.
And the best news? Thanks to dedicated high school coaches and athletic directors around the province, as well as the players themselves, we’ve been able to secure photographs for each and every one of our honoured athletes.
COMING FRIDAY: Varsity Letter’s 2021-22 Top 15 Boys Volleyball Players!
1 MACKENZIE POOL
CLICK HERE FOR OUR FEATURE STORY ON MACKENZIE!
School — Notre Dame (Vancouver)
Height — 6-foot
Position — Outside hitter
Poll points — 90
Freshman’s Future — Alberta
2 OLIVIA BOULDING
School — Claremont (Victoria)
Height — 6-foot-2
Position — Outside hitter
Poll points — 78
Freshman’s Future — Montana
3 MACYN UNGER
School — Duchess Park (Prince George)
Height — 5-foot-9
Position — Libero/OH/Setter
Poll points — 73
Freshman’s Future — Simon Fraser
4 JAIME HEWLETT
School — Riverside (Port Coquitlam)
Height — 5-foot-11
Position — Libero
Poll points — 65
Freshman’s Future — TBD
5 ELIZABETH LEE
School — Little Flower Academy (Vancouver)
Height — 5-foot-10
Position — Outside hitter
Poll points — 64
Freshman’s Future — UBC
6-tie LIBBY MELDRUM
School — West Vancouver
Height — 5-foot-10
Position — Setter
Poll points — 63
Freshman’s Future — Thompson Rivers
6-tie CHLOE NG
School — York House (Vancouver)
Height — 5-foot-9
Position — Setter
Poll points — 63
Freshman’s Future — Minnesota
8 HEATHER BENKO
School — Chatlelech (Sechelt)
Height — 6-foot
Position — Outside hitter
Poll points — 45
Freshman’s Future — New Brunswick
9 LUCY MILLAM
School — Mount Douglas (Victoria)
Height — 5-foot-11
Position — Outside hitter
Poll points — 35
Freshman’s Future — Thompson Rivers
10-tie ABBY HETTINGA
School — Kelowna
Height — 6-foot
Position — Outside hitter
Poll points — 33
Freshman’s Future — UBC Okanagan
10-tie KIRSTEN HILL
School — Mount Boucherie (Kelowna)
Height — 6-foot
Position — Outside hitter
Poll points — 33
Freshman’s Future — Simon Fraser
12 SHADAE BLACK
School — D.P. Todd (Prince George)
Height — 6-foot-1
Position — Outside hitter
Poll points — 29
Freshman’s Future — TBD
13-tie MEGHAN VAAGS
School — Abbotsford Christian
Height — 6-foot
Position — Outside hitter/Middle blocker
Poll points — 17
Freshman’s Future — New Brunswick
13-tie LAUREN WAY
School — Riverside (Port Coquitlam)
Height — 6-foot-1
Position — Middle blocker
Poll points — 17
Freshman’s Future — UFV
15 AMY BENNETT
School — Kelowna Christian
Height — 5-foot-9
Position — Setter
Poll points — 11
Freshman’s Future — UFV
If you’re reading this story or viewing these photos on any website other than one belonging to a university athletic department, it has been taken without appropriate permission. In these challenging times, true journalism will survive only through your dedicated support and loyalty. VarsityLetters.ca and all of its exclusive content has been created to serve B.C.’s high school and university sports community with hard work, integrity and respect. Feel free to drop us a line any time at howardtsumura@gmail.com.
I love the idea of the list every year, but it is not the top grade 12 volleyball players, it is the most physically gifted volleyball players that university coaches want. The AAAA final was a skills clinic put on by SDSS and Riverside, but only 1 player from the 1st all star team made the list. MVP Annika Trask, and fellow grade 12s Emily Wezeman, and SDSS twins Jane and Kate McDonald are some of the best all around players in the province. Yes some of the listed players are not at AAAA schools. SDSS beat the smaller schools at UBC and the Red Serge. They have a strong grade 11 cohort but would not have had the success without the McDonald twin’s all around play.
So if you don’t have interest of playing post secondary, or are deemed too small by post secondary coaches you can’t make the list? 4 of grade 12’s from the AAAA provincial finalists and 3 from the 1st all star team Emily Wezeman, Annika Trask, Jane and Kate McDonald don’t make the list? It would seem that high school coaches could make a viable list based on a season of competition as opposed to post secondary coaches listing who they want based on their size and recruiting interest.