After another highly competitive high school volleyball season, three Chatham County athletes received all-state honors for their play.
At the end of the state playoffs, the North Carolina Volleyball Coaches Association released its all-state teams for the various classifications. Earning all-state honors were Chatham Central sophomore Karaleigh Dodson, Seaforth sophomore Maris Huneycutt and Jordan-Matthews junior Reagan Smith.
Huneycutt and Smith were named to the 2A all-state team after stellar individual seasons with their teams.
Huneycutt, playing her second season of high school volleyball, led the Hawks to a regular season record of 14-3 overall. In the playoffs, the Hawks reached the second round before falling to No. 1 seed, Midway, 3-0.
Serving as the team’s setter, Huneycutt led all Mid-Carolina Conference athletes with 574 assists, more than 130 higher than the next closest player. She also contributed 48 kills, 75 service aces, 18 blocks and 139 digs.
Smith, meanwhile, was her team’s top player in kills, boasting 188, more than 100 more than the closest teammate. She also had 62 service aces, 90 blocks and 191 digs.
Jordan-Matthews had an up-and-down year as a team, going 7-14 overall and 3-7 in Mid-Carolina Conference play. The Jets failed to make the state playoffs in their first year under head coach Johnny Alston.
Making the 1A team all-state team while also playing in the Mid-Carolina conference was Chatham Central’s Dodson, now in her second year of varsity volleyball. Dodson led the Bears in kills (188), blocks (59) and digs (42). For her career, Dodson now has 390 total kills, 51 service aces and 80 blocks through two full seasons with Chatham Central.
Despite Dodson’s strong play, the Bears were unable to make any noise during the regular season, going 9-14 overall and 3-7 in league play. Central eventually lost to Falls Lake, 3-0, in the first round of the 1A state playoffs.
Mid-Carolina Conference
Maris Huneycutt, sophomore, Seaforth
Mia Kellam, sophomore, Seaforth
Keira Rosenmarkle, freshman, Seaforth
Karaleigh Dodson, sophomore, Chatham Central
Abby Johnson, senior, Chatham Central
Reagan Smith, junior, Jordan-Matthews
Janeyra Guerrero-Jaimes, junior, Jordan-Matthews
Central Tar Heel Conference
Maya Sheridan, sophomore, Woods Charter
Josephine Valgus, freshman, Woods Charter
Emma Cope, junior, Woods Charter
Emerson Clark, senior, Chatham Charter
Ashlee Rains, senior, Chatham Charter
Alison Perez Hernandez, senior, Chatham Charter
Sports Editor Jeremy Vernon can be reached at jeremy@chathamnr.com or on Twitter at @jbo_vernon.