Denton Record-Chronicle
2015 All-Area Volleyball Most valuable player
All-area first team Jennifer Chapman Lake Dallas, S, Jr.
Chapman bounced back nicely from a concussion early in the season to be a driving force for the Lady Falcons’ run to the postseason. The junior setter, who runs her team’s offense like a second coach, had 793 assists on the season to go with 165 kills and a lofty .400 hitting percentage. She was also second on the team with 63 aces and collected 183 digs to go with her 27 blocks. Chapman was selected as the District 6-5A Setter of the Year.
Jordan Debus Calvary, OH, Sr.
Debus capped her career at Calvary by helping the Lady Lions to a third TAPPS 2A state title in four years and a sixth straight unbeaten run through their district. Debus, an outside hitter, was the MVP of the TAPPS 2A all-state team after finishing her season with 586 kills and a .344 hitting percentage. She had 71 aces and 426 digs while also chipping in 50 total blocks. She was also a proficient passer with a 2.25 pass rating.
Mallory McKnight Guyer, MB, Sr.
The three-year starter at middle blocker earned Blocker of the Year honors in District 5-6A for the second consecutive year after helping lead Guyer to an unbeaten run through district play and a second straight district title before bowing out in the postseason to Plano. McKnight, who signed with Division I Radford, had 26 solo blocks to go with 78 block assists and also had 266 kills with a .302 hitting percentage.
Courtnie Roberts Krum, RSH/S, Jr.
Roberts wore many hats for a surprising Krum team that made a run to the regional tournament. As the right-side hitter, she had 289 kills. She was also voted Co-Setter of the Year on a deep District 9-4A team and was a TGCA all-state selection. She led Krum in assists with 536 and was also lethal serving the ball — racking up 45 aces. Defensively, she had 281 digs and was second on the team with 80 blocks.
Alexa Bass Argyle, S/RSH, Sr. Bass was the All-Area Setter of the Year as a junior, but that superlative honor only described part of her value for the Lady Eagles, who relied on Bass to do a little bit of everything during her three-year varsity career and now must find a way to replace that versatility. In 2015, the Oral Roberts signee and Texas Girls Coaches Association all-state selection rolled up 669 assists, 330 digs, 321 kills and 50 service aces as Argyle finished 42-7 and won the Class 4A state title. She has the little-known distinction of having clinched Argyle’s last two state tournament berths — the program has been in three state tournaments over the last four seasons — by knocking down match points in consecutive region finals. Bass transferred to Argyle from Coppell for her sophomore season and said it was her goal over the years to be proficient at every position on the floor. That invaluable leadership helped her stand out on a roster loaded with talent. Bass is one of four Lady Eagles on this year’s DRC All-Area team.
setter of the year
co-offensive player of the year
Strealy Sizelove Argyle, S, Sr.
Sizelove was pretty much asked to do two things for Argyle — set the ball and quarterback the offense — and she practically did it better than anyone else in the area. Sizelove, a Dallas Baptist signee and one of seven seniors on this year’s Lady Eagles’ roster, led her team with a staggering 719 assists and was a big reason for the success of teammates such as Eighmy Dobbins, Alexa Bass, Allison White and Halee Van Poppel.
Eighmy Dobbins
Allison White Argyle, MB, Jr.
White first burst onto the scene in 2014 as a sophomore, but there’s no question she took her game to another level in 2015 while playing her part in making Argyle a team that could score points from anywhere on the court. The junior middle blocker tallied 300 kills and a .498 hitting percentage to go along with 49 aces and 116 digs. Her role will once again expand next season with the loss of seven seniors.
All-area second team Emily Acker Denton, S, Jr.
Pacing a high-octane offense, Acker was the key to Denton’s diverse attack. Acker’s abilities allowed Denton to run a 5-1 formation early in the season before switching to a 6-2. Her 714 assists led the team. She also had 103 digs and made the District 5-5A first team for a second time.
Kenzie Dozier Denton, OH, Sr.
Despite being injured for half of the season, Dozier — an Arkansas Tech signee — still found a way to lead her team in kills with 393 as the Lady Broncos’ go-to outside hitter. Whenever Denton needed a big kill, the team turned to Dozier. Defensively, Dozier was a key cog with 134 digs and 17 blocks.
Argyle, OH, Sr.
Miles Baker Guyer, So. Baker excelled as a freshman a year ago and continued her ascent as one of Guyer’s top players in 2015. The sophomore setter put together another great season for the Lady Wildcats in helping lead them to the Class 6A playoffs after an unbeaten run through District 5-6A and earned first-team honors on the all-district team. Baker tallied 863 assists while keeping opponents guessing as to where she would set the ball with an array of talented weapons around her, notably Emily Hill, Mallory McKnight and Elizabeth Donnelly, who had the top three kills totals for the Lady Wildcats. Baker, who occasionally moved outside, as well, also had 74 kills. She tied with Hill for the team lead in aces with 40 and was always at the front of head coach Addie Mack’s service rotation to begin each set. Lastly, Baker was third on the team in digs behind Hill and libero Kate Cowan with 307 on the season.
defensive player of the year
Greer Koonce Sanger, S/OH, Fr.
Koonce did a little bit of everything for Sanger in 2015 and was one of several young players who helped guide the Lady Indians to the third round of the Class 4A playoffs before being ousted by Argyle. She finished her first year on varsity with 231 kills, 463 assists, 100 digs and 57 service aces.
Alex Martinez Calvary, S, Sr.
Dobbins shouldered a heavy load for the state champion Lady Eagles. The senior and four-year starter netted a team-high 501 kills in 2015 to earn a TGCA Class 4A all-state nod and a state final MVP trophy. She was named Class 4A player of the year by multiple entities, including the Texas Sports Writers Association. The Texas A&M-Corpus Christi signee never disappointed in big-time situations. She finished her career at Argyle as the program’s all-time leader in kills with 1,831. Dobbins was the only senior on this year’s roster to have played in all three of Argyle’s state tournament appearances.
co-offensive player of the year
Emily Hill Guyer, OH, Sr. After a breakout junior season, Hill became one of the biggest offensive threats in the Dallas-Fort Worth area when she led all Class 6A players in kills. She didn’t duplicate that feat in 2015, but she came close and might have become an even bigger all-around threat in the process. The Mississippi State signee led Guyer to an unbeaten run through District 5-6A while claiming MVP honors in the district, an honor she also won in 2014 when she was named the Record-Chronicle’s All-Area MVP. Hill led Guyer with 440 kills and a .365 hitting percentage. The 6-1 outside hitter also tied for the team lead in aces (40) and was second on the team in digs and blocks.
Martinez was one of the core players for a state-champion Calvary squad that won its third TAPPS 2A title in four years. The senior setter ran the offense to perfection, doling out 1,052 assists on the season to go with 141 kills and 97 aces. She also collected 198 digs and was an all-state selection.
coach of the year
Adrianna Nolly
Krum
Lake Dallas, MB, Sr.
The District 6-5A Utility Player of the Year did a little bit of everything for the Lady Falcons and proved to be one of the best blockers in the area. Nolly led the team with 356 kills and had a .400 hitting percentage. Defensively, she was a monster, collecting 149 blocks and 112 digs.
Ashleigh Wolf Krum, RSH/S, Sr.
Wolf brought crucial experience to an up-and-coming Krum squad. The District 9-4A first-team selection led Krum’s offense with a team-high 321 kills. She also tallied 40 aces to go along with 431 assists, which was second on the team. Defensively, she was a rock with 263 digs and 54 blocks.
Lynn Larson Emily Curtis Denton, Lib., Sr. The Clemson signee was the defensive stalwart during one of the most successful seasons in Denton volleyball history. Curtis brought a confident swagger to the Lady Broncos, whose trip to the Class 5A Region I semifinal game was the deepest run under fifth-year head coach Danielle Kading and the longest playoff run since 1999. Curtis represented the last line of defense for the Lady Broncos as libero and her 824 digs were a team high. She was voted her district’s defensive player of the year in three consecutive seasons. She racked up 34 aces and was also a proficient passer.
Larson’s team didn’t win a state title this season, but no other coach in the Denton area led their squad to as big a turnaround campaign as Larson in 2015. A year after finishing as one of District 9-4A’s worst teams, the Lady Bobcats piled up 37 wins en route to the first regional tournament appearance in program history. Though its run ended in the regional semifinals, Krum finished 37-5, and two of those losses came against district bunkmate Argyle. Larson’s team won 17 of its last 19 regular-season matches and went into the playoffs as the No. 5 team in the TGCA Class 4A state poll. Krum was the only team in its district to win a set against Argyle. Krum swept its way to an easy first-round win before knocking off Melissa and Celina — both in four sets — to advance to the regional tournament. With Larson at the helm and a new benchmark of success set, Krum should remain a force in Class 4A.
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