Dorcas Bolese, Yarmouth senior middle hitter: Consistent, powerful and hard to defend against are some of the things opposition coaches said about Bolese. The 6-foot senior is strong, athletic and quick, with 134 kills and a .296 hitting percentage. Scarborough Coach Kim Stoddard said Bolese can simply jump higher than anyone else.
Chloe Dinsmore, Washington Academy senior outside hitter: Dinsmore is a four-year starter who helped lead her team to a 58-4 record. Retiring Yarmouth Coach Jim Senecal said Dinsmore “does everything really well.” She had 57 aces, 71 digs and 129 kills this season while leading the Raiders to their second straight Class C title.
Sophia DiPhilippo, Gorham junior setter: DiPhilippo tallied 48 aces and 65 digs and led the state with 319 assists. She was key in the Rams’ march to the Class A final. Scarborough Coach Kim Stoddard said DiPhilippo dominated in the semifinals.
Charlotte Donovan, Biddeford senior outside hitter: Donovan has played many positions at Biddeford. This year at outside hitter, she was rarely off the court. “She is the rare person who can play every position and play them well. Her serve is deadly,” said Biddeford Coach Ruth Shaw. Donovan had 70 kills, 98 digs and 28 aces while helping lead the Tigers to the Class A title.
Kora Eckelman, Sanford senior middle hitter: Sanford made it to the Class A semifinals for the first time and Eckelman is the reason why, many coaches said. She had 210 kills, 112 blocks, 137 digs and 102 aces. “Four years ago, we were 2-12, and this year we went 12-5. Kora deserves a lot of credit,” said Sanford Coach Jerry Hill.
Danielle Emerson, Biddeford junior setter: Emerson emerged as Biddeford’s on-court quarterback, calling the right plays even before Coach Ruth Shaw did. The veteran coach welcomed it, saying Emerson’s court vision was unmatched. In 17 matches, she collected 168 kills, 114 assists and 94 digs. Other coaches called her the most dominant player in the state.
Lizzy Gruber, Gardiner senior middle blocker: In only her fourth year playing volleyball, Gruber led Gardiner to an undefeated regular season and to the Class B final for the first time. She amassed 221 kills, 44 aces, 90 blocks and 68 digs. She will play basketball at Division I St. Joseph in Philadelphia on a full athletic scholarship.
Natalie Moynihan, Scarborough sophomore outside hitter: Many coaches called Moynihan the key to Scarborough’s playoff run, which ended in the Class A semifinals. Ruth Shaw said state champion Biddeford struggled receiving hits from Moynihan more than from any other player in the state. Moynihan led the Red Storm with 200 kills and had 56 aces.
Alana Sawyer, Scarborough junior middle hitter: The Red Storm once again proved a formidable, powerful team, and opposing coaches said Sawyer was a big reason why. She led the team with 62 aces and tallied 109 digs and 99 kills. Her passing was superb.
Brianna Torres, Yarmouth senior libero: Torres is a fierce competitor and one of the top defenders in the state, and a key reason why the Clippers won another Class B championship. Torres tallied 207 digs and 31 aces. Ruth Shaw, the Biddeford coach, said Torres would be a powerful asset on any team in the state.
COACH OF YEAR
Corey Schwinn, Washington Academy: Schwinn not only led his team to consecutive undefeated seasons en route to another Class C state title, he notched his 100th win at Washington Academy. Since 2015, his teams have appeared in six state finals – in Class B and C – and have won four titles.
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