First team
(S) Nicla Gentile, Sr., Weeki Wachee: The senior accumulated 700 assists for the 17-1 Hornets and was named the Gulf Coast 8’s Player of the Year.
(OH) Kristen Pizzano, Jr., Weeki Wachee: Pizzano had herself a stellar junior season and was named to the Gulf Coast 8 first team. The junior accumulated 257 kills and 196 digs for Weeki Wachee.
(OH) Grace Colleran, Jr., Weeki Wachee: The junior was another first-team selection by the Gulf Coast 8, and rightfully so. Colleran racked up 171 kills on the season and also notched 44 aces and 110 digs.
(MH) Tiana Stifanic, Sr., Springstead: The Eagles’ senior was the best player on the season for Springstead and was named to the Gulf Coast 8 first team.
(L) Victoria Gray, Jr., Weeki Wachee: Gray had by far the most digs in Hernando County, as the junior compiled 372 on the season.
(OH) Riley Gowing, Sr., Hernando: The Leopards’ outside hitter led the way in the coronavirus shortened season and was a Gulf Coast 8 first-team selection.
Second team
(S) Kristen Mcelroy, Jr., Nature Coast: Mcelroy will be back for one more season and that’s good news for coach Emily Gore. The junior had 199 assists in 2020.
(OH) Courtney Wenrich, Sr., Nature Coast: The Sharks’ senior had herself a solid final campaign, as she had 85 kills.
(OH) Alexandra Valtsiotis, Sr., Weeki Wachee: The Hornets had no shortage of talent up and down the roster and Valtsiotis was no exception. The senior had 126 kills on the season.
(MH) Danielle McGee, Jr., Weeki Wachee: The Hornets’ middle hitter was tremendous all season long, with McGee racking up 140 kills and 26 blocks.
(L) Sabrina Sessa, Sr., Nature Coast: Sessa finished her senior season with a bang, notching 134 digs for the Sharks.
(UTL) Isabella Nunag, Fr., Springstead: Though the Eagles finished 4-10 on the season, Nunag was a bright spot making Gulf Coast 8 honorable mention as a freshman.
Player of the Year
(S) Nicla Gentile, Sr., Weeki Wachee: The senior setter had the best season individually on a team that featured many of the county’s best players. Gentile had 700 assists on the season for the 17-1 Hornets and she meant a lot to a team that will greatly miss her in 2021. She also added 16 aces and 133 digs to her season totals.
Coaches of the Year
Allen and Kelly Werkmeister, Weeki Wachee: There’s not much debate on who the coaches of the year are in Hernando County, residing over at Weeki Wachee. Allen and Kelly Werkmeister oversaw the county’s most successful team of 2020 during a pandemic year and the Hornets looked every bit on point as if times were normal. Kelly Werkmeister was dealing with an illness for much of the season but still guided her Hornets as much as possible. Weeki Wachee finished with a record of 17-1 on the season and went deep into the postseason. The Hornets only list four sets all season long until they faced Academy of Holy Names, losing 3-0. This particular Weeki Wachee team was very special.
Andy Villamarzo can be reached at [email protected] and follow him on Twitter @avillamarzo.
