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Redlands East Valley volleyball player Krista Vansant is up for one more award before starting her career at the University of Washington and it's a biggie, as Vansant is one of six female athletes from across the country vying for the Gatorade Female Athlete of the Year Award. Along with being nominated for the award, Vansant will also walk the red carpet for Wednesday's ESPY Awards at the Nokia Theatre in downtown Los Angeles.

The winner will be announced at a black-tie banquet at the Grand Ballroom of the Renaissance Hollywood Hotel Tuesday. The banquet, which runs from 5:30-7:30 p.m., will be hosted by Sparks basketball player Lisa Leslie, Detroit Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford, Minnesota Timberwolves forward Kevin Love and Olympic softball player Jessica Mendoza.

The other female athletes vying for the award are basketball player Kaleena Mosqueda-Lewis (Mater Dei), track and field athlete Amy Weissenbach (Harvard-Westlake), softball player Paige McDuffee (The Woodlands, Texas), soccer player Morgan Brian (St. Simons, Ga) and cross country runner Aisling Cuffe (New Windsor, N.Y.). The six male athletes up for the Male Athlete of the Year Award are football player Justin Worley (Rock Hill, S.C.), cross country runner Lukas Verzbicas (Orland Park, Ill.), basketball player Brad Beal (St. Louis), soccer player Luis Rendon (Midlothian, Va.), baseball player Dylan Bundy (Owasso, Okla.) and track and field athlete Gunnar Nixon (Edmond, Okla.).

The 47th annual Ken Hubbs Athlete of the Year award was given to San Gorgonio's Paul Rodriguez at the Elks Club in San Bernardino tonight. Rodriguez, a four-sport star in football, basketball, volleyball and track for the Spartans, is the second San G athlete to receive the award, joining 1986 winner Tony Kounas.

Rodriguez was especially gifted in football for San G, making the first-team all-Sun team as an offensive lineman this past season while receiving a full scholarship to San Diego State. Rodriguez will play for the Aztecs this fall.

"It's amazing to read some of the names of the guys who have won it and be among some of the athletes from other schools that you just hear about in the newspaper," Rodriguez said. "I played against (2010 winner) Derrick Malone last year and he's just a beast. You see guys like Ronnie Lott who made the NFL on the list and you want to be there right with them. I want to join them and add to the award."

The committee also recognized two female athletes for the first time in the award's 47-year history, honoring Redlands East Valley volleyball player Krista Vansant and Rialto basketball player Janae Sharpe. Perhaps inspired by the duo, the Hubbs committee also announced that it will be given out female school and overall winners annually started next year to go along with the annual male award.

"I think it's great that girls are going to get the same amount of recognition that guys are," Vansant said. "I feel fortunate to have helped bring that about a little bit along with Janae. I think having the two of us here really helped get this done and will help get more deserving girls recognized."

The individual school winners were also honored Monday. They were Kyle Didier (Aquinas), Charles Izydorek (Arrowhead Christian), Jordan Boothe (Arroyo Valley), Paul Topoleski (Big Bear), Alexander Cruz (Bloomington), Thomas Carter (Cajon), Steven Reneau (Carter), Devan Hussey (Colton), Bernard Ireland (Eisenhower), Isac Fonseca (Fontana), Shaun Bradley (Kaiser), Kendall Chambliss (Miller), Carlos Espinoza (Pacific), Nolan Brown (Redlands), Chris Mecate (Redlands East Valley), Enrique Lopez (Rialto), Dillon Pretzinger (Rim of the World), Choncey White (San Bernardino), Dorian Cason (Summit) and Jordan Morris (Yucaipa).

Here's my story from the proceedings at REV today.

With one announcement in the Redlands East Valley principal's office Wednesday morning, REV senior volleyball Krista Vansant was given a lifelong connection to athletes such as Kobe Bryant, Peyton Manning, Kerri Walsh and LeBron James.

Vansant joined that echleon of elite athlete Wednesday, as she was named the 2010-11 Gatorade National High School Volleyball Player of the Year.

"My brain turns to mush when thinking about things like this," Vansant said. "It is such an honor and I don't even know what to say. I never expected anything like this to happen."

It was an honor that was kept from Vansant for almost a week, as her mother Tricia -- who also served as her coach at REV before retiring after this past season concluded -- was contacted by Gatorade this past Thursday letting her know about the honor with explicit instructions not to tell her daughter.

"They told me both honors at once," Tricia said. "They called up and told me that she won the state player of the year and then right after told me about the national player of the year. I started yelling in the garage and they told me to keep it quiet.

"All the while Krista is trying to find me to have me take her to practice. Luckily she never asked and I was able to tell family and friends and make sure they would keep it a secret."

Krista found out about winning the California Player of the Year honor from backchannels. But when she went to REV on Wednesday, she wasn't anticipating what was about to happen.

"I seriously thought I was on Punk'd," said Vansant, referencing the practical-joke television show that used to run on MTV. "I was looking around thinking "Ashton (Kutcher), Ashton? I was completely shocked.

"I saw April Ross and I knew who she was right away. I remember watching her play at USC and was so excited, though I basically just sat there smiling because I didn't know what else to do."

Ross, the 1999-2000 winner, was among a crowd of family, friends, teammates and REV students that honored Vansant during an assembly. The current pro beach volleyball champion recalled when she was awarded the honor when she was a senior at Newport Harbor High School and shared in Vansant's joy.

"It's one of the best honors I've ever received," Ross said. "It really showed me that I had the ability to really be good at this sport and I think it will be the same for Krista. Being alonside people such as Kobe Bryant is a real honor."

Vansant became the second county athlete to become a Gatorade Player of the Year, joining Chino track and field athlete Angela Williams, who was honored in 1997-98. And Wednesday might not be the last honor bestowed on Vansant by Gatorade.

After being chosen as the premier volleyball player from a field of approximately 403,000 high school players in the United States, Vansant has a chance to be chosen as the overall Gatorade National Female Athlete of the Year in July.

Vansant will be honored at a luncheon in Hollywood in July where the National Player of Year will be named. Then she'll be whisked off to the ESPYs, where she'll get to walk the red carpet and rub elbows with some of the athletes whose company she joined Wednesday.

"Oh yeah, I can go right up to Kobe now," Vansant said. "Well, I don't know about that. He has five NBA titles -- I'm not quite in that class."

Released a couple hours ago. Redlands East Valley's Krista Vansant adds to her expansive list of accolades, getting named the Division 1-A Player of the Year.

DIVISION 1A

Player of the Year - Krista Vansant, Redlands East Valley (12) OH
Coach of the Year - Cari Klein, Marymount

First team
Caroline Workman, L, Sr., Marymount
Lauren Greskovics-Fuller, S, Sr., Marymount
Alyssa Mason, MB, Jr., Redlands East Valley
Allison Palmer, S, Jr., Laguna Beach
Morgan Boukather, OPP, Sr., Corona del Mar
Emily Ellias, MB, Sr., Valencia
Jasmine Eatmon, OH, Sr., Los Osos
Alexis Hein, OH, Sr., Vista Murrieta
Dana Backlund, S, Jr., Murrieta Valley
Chanel Stewart, OH, Sr., Laguna Beach
Kristen Castellanos, L, Fr., Sherman Oaks Notre Dame

DIVISION 2AA

Player of the Year -Deanna Dalton, St. Lucy's Priory (12) OH
Coach of the Year - Sean Douglas, St. Lucy's Priory

FIRST TEAM
Jordyn Siko, S, Sr., Chino Hills
Eirene Kim, L, Sr., La Canada
Katherine Workman, OH, Jr., La Reina
Alex Daugherty, OH, Sr., La Salle
Tara Robinson, OH, Sr., Oaks Christian
Madison Dreyer, OH, Sr., Riverside Poly
Dessi Koleva, OH, Sr., South Torrance
Tiran Le'Ah, OH, Sr., Monrovia
Alissa Young, MB, Sr., St. Lucy's
Heather Trueman, OH, Jr., Chino Hills
Jackie Macy, S, Jr., St. Lucy's

Redlands East Valley
Kills: Krista Vansant 21, Cherylain Dizon 6, Alyssa Mason 5
Blocks: Mason 8, Dizon 3, Vansant 2
Assists: Peyton Moyles 25, Hannah Logan 2
Digs: Emily Hairgrove 11, Vansant 6, Elizabeth Tidwell 5
Aces: Vansant 1, Hairgrove 1

Marymount
Kills: Kathleen Harris 20, Atlanta Moye-McLaren 13, Taylor Bantle 9, Manon Greskovics-Fuller 7.
Blocks: M. Greskovics-Fuller 2, Kaity Edwards 2.
Assists: Lauren Greskovics-Fuller 40.
Digs: Caroline Workman 17.
Aces: Victoria Shepherd 4, L. Greskovics-Fuller 2, Carly Wagenbach 2.

The Wildcats aren't going to give up the CIF title without a fight, as they defeated Marymount 25-20 in game 3 to continue the match. The Wildcats won the last six points of the game, as Alyssa Mason ended it with two blocks and a kill on game point.

Mason had a good game defensively, compiling six of her seven blocks. Krista Vansant also got going offensively, notching seven of her 14 kills. Peyton Moyles has 17 assists while Cherylain Dizon has five kills and four blocks.

Kathleen Harris leads Marymount with 15 kills while Lauren Greskovics-Fuller has 28 assists.

A 7-0 run early in the game paved the way for the Sailors to take game 2, as Marymount never looked back from the resulting 11-7 lead in defeating REV 25-17 to come within one game of the CIF-SS Division 1-A championship. Their service game gave REV issues in game two, as Victoria Shepherd had four aces while Atlanta Moye-McLaren and Carly Wagenbach also had aces.

REV got a early lift from Cherylain Dizon, who had two kills and three blocks in the game, but have scuffled otherwise. Krista Vansant has seven kills and two digs while Peyton Moyles has eight assists and two kills.

Taylor Bantle finished off the game for the Sailors with consecutive kills, giving Marymount a 25-20 win and a 1-0 lead in games. The Sailors have 15 kills to REV's 7, as the Wildcats have struggled to get their attack going.

Krista Vansant has six kills to lead the Wildcats while Peyton Moyles has five assists. Libero Emily Hargrove has three digs as well.

The Sailors have been pretty balanced offensively in taking the early lead, as Manon-Greskovics-Fuller has four kills while Kathleen Harris and Atlanta Moye-McLaren have three kills each. Setter Lauren Greskovics-Fuller has nine assists.

Krista Vansant has six of REV's seven kills. Service errors have plagued both teams, as Marymount has five errors while REV has two.

Redlands East Valley wrestler Chris Mecate and volleyball player Krista Vansant will sign National Letters of Intent tomorrow morning as part of the beginning of the Fall Signing Period. Mecate will sign with Old Dominion in the principal's office at 7 a.m. while Vansant will sign with the University of Washington at 7:30 a.m. in Kurt Bruich's office.

Fresh off the e-mail from the CIF offices. REV junior Krista Vansant won co-MVP honors in Division 2 while REV coach Tricia Vansant was co-Coach of the Year. In Division 4, Upland Christian's Danielle Maxwell was Co-MVP while Upland Christian coach Doug Porterfield was co-Coach of the Year.

The teams..

Straight from the CIF-State statkeepers.

Redlands East Valley
Kills: Krista Vansant 14, Alyssa Mason 5, Danielle Newcombe 5
Blocks: Mason 2, Brianna Potter 2
Assists: Johnna Fouch 18, Kyla Oropeza 3
Aces: Vansant 2, Fouch 1, Newcombe 1
Digs: Fouch 9, Newcombe 8, Vasant 7

Archbishop Mitty
Kills: Rachel Williams 19, Kristina Graven 12, Shannon Fleming 9, Joan Caloiaro 8.
Blocks: Fleming 1, Graven 1
Assists: Caloiaro 43, Brittany Bozzinni 3, Ryan Shaffer 2
Aces: Williams 3, Bozzinni 2
Digs: Shaffer 14, Graven 8, Caloiaro 7

Mitty is still up 16-2, but the Wildcats, down by as many as 12-1, have scrapped back a bit and caused the Monarchs to call a timeout. Krista Vansant has four kills and an ace in game two.

REV has played a little looser since I blogged last, but Mitty is up 20-14 and seems in control of game one. Libero Ryan Shaffer has flown around the court thus far while star outside hitter Rachel Williams, who has signed with Stanford, has four kills thus far.

Krista Vansant has four kills for REV while Danielle Newcombe has added two.

Once again, I don't have digs. But this is what I do have.

Corona del Mar
Kills: Morgan Boukather 19, Amanda Nickel 12, Hailey Senske 8,
Blocks: Claire Ham 3, Senske 2
Assists: Madison Smith 40
Aces: Nickel 2, Ham 1.

Redlands East Valley
Kills: Krista Vansant 26, Alyssa Mason 9, Johnna Fouch 6, Danielle Newcombe 6, Brianna Potter 6.
Blocks: Mason 8, Newcombe 4, Cherylain Dizon 4
Assists: Fouch 33, Kyla Oropeza 4
Aces: Fouch 3

Redlands East Valley won its third straight CIF title, closing out Corona del Mar 26-24 in the fourth game. The Sea Queens actually had game-point on REV, but three straight Krista Vansant kills sealed the match, making the Wildcats the second county girls volleyball team in history to win three straight CIF titles, joining Rim of the World - which won five straight titles from 1981-85.

I'll have final stats in a bit.

as REV closed out game two with a 25-17 victory. Krista Vansant ended it with a finesse bloop kill, even though she was tattooing CDM with most of her eight kills in the game. Besides that, the old cliche' "It's a team effort" is holding true for the Wildcats.

Let's see if REV can make it a short afternoon.

REV is continuing the momentum it grabbed at the end of the first game, starting off game two with an 8-2 lead. Johnna Fouch is doing a great job mixing up her sets, getting Krista Vansant, Alyssa Mason and Danielle Newcombe involved on the attack.

After a slow start, the Wildcats got rolling, winning the first game over Corona del Mar 25-21. Krista Vansant had seven kills, including four in a game-ending 11-3 run. Alyssa Mason notched the last two points for REV on a block kill and a kill from an assist by Johnna Fouch, who had 11 assists in the game.

Game two about to start.

It was quite the wait, but the Redlands East Valley girls volleyball team finally began the defense of its CIF-SS Division II-AA crown Monday, sweeping Redlands 25-10, 25-6, 25-21 in its season opener.

After a seemingly endless amount of intrasquad practices, the Wildcats -- which graduated seven players from their CIF championship and state finalist team -- were relieved to finally get things going against another team.

"It's been a long wait, a lot of practicing," REV coach Tricia Vansant said. "It gets repetitive practicing against your teammates. You get antsy and you want to play against someone else."

While it took a while for REV's season to get started, it won't take long for it to get into high gear. The Wildcats play in the Durango Tournament in Las Vegas this weekend and the Capistrano Tournament in Orange County the weekend after.

Both should be sizable tests for the Wildcats, who are looking to fill their lineup around senior setter Johnna Fouch -- who committed to San Diego State late last week -- junior outside hitter Krista Vansant and senior libero Kyle Oropeza. 6-foot-2 sophomore Alyssa Mason also saw a good bit of time last year, but injury and illness have her taking it slow in the early going of the season.

The 48-team Durango Tournament features teams throughout the Western United States while the Capistrano Tournament will involve the elite teams in Orange County and Southern California.

"We are going to see a higher level of volleyball and get a good idea of where we stand and what we need to work on," Vansant said. "I want our girls to be tested, to be challenged, to see how they react to other teams pushing them."