Girls Volleyball All-Area: St. Lucy’s Sydney Bast and Duarte coach Irene Sunabe take top honors

GIRLS VOLLEYBALL ALL-AREA PHOTO GALLERY
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GIRLS VOLLEYBALL ALL-AREA
PLAYER OF THE YEAR:
SYDNEY BAST, St. Lucy’s, Sr.
BASTSt. Lucy’s girls volleyball coach Sean Douglas summed it up best when asked how senior Sydney Bast will do at the University of Santa Barbara, where Bast is headed on scholarship after a decorated four-year varsity career. “She will be great,” Douglas said. “She doesn’t know how not to be great.”
Greatness is what defined Bast in four years at St. Lucy’s. She was the lone freshman to log significant minutes on St. Lucy’s 2010 CIF-SS Division 2AA championship team, and she won back-to-back CIF titles by her sophomore year, helping the Regents to a sweep over La Salle and back-to-back 30-plus winning seasons in 2011. During Bast’s career the Regents compiled an impressive 106-34 overall record with four straight Sierra League titles.

“I am extremely honored and blessed to be a part of the teams I was with,” Bast said. “We weren’t always the most talented or gifted physical teams, but we always came together. That’s what enabled us to do as well as we did.” Bast, normally a libero and only 5-foot-8, sacrificed her game this season by playing outside hitter because that’s where her team needed her.
And Bast thrived in that role, finishing with 239 kills, 258 digs and 48 aces. For her efforts, Bast has been selected the 2013 San Gabriel Valley Tribune Girls Volleyball Player of the Year
sydbast“She (Bast) hasn’t played outside hitter since the eighth grade, but she didn’t even think twice about it,” Douglas said. “She was exceptional, as usual, but that’s to be expected of her. She works as hard as anyone I’ve ever been around and deserves all the accolades she’s getting.”
St. Lucy’s didn’t advance as far as it wanted in the CIF playoffs, losing a five-set heartbreaker in the second round, but Bast was the Regents’ bread and butter, earning Sierra League first-team honors for the second-straight season, as well as being named to the All CIF-SS team.
Bast, a 4.2 honor student, is thankful to have been part of it all.
“It was definitely unforgettable,” Bast said. “It’s been the greatest experience of my life. I learned so much about myself as a player, growing as a person and becoming an all-around athlete.”

COACH OF THE YEAR: IRENE SUNABE,Duarte
irenesunabeThe Falcons won their first league title since 2006, finally wrestling the title away from three-time champion La Puente. In fact, since the Falcons won their last title, the Montview has been won by either Duarte or Sierra Vista since. What made Duarte’s Montview League title so special is that the Falcons were just 12-16 a year earlier and finished fourth in the Montview in 2012. Sunabe led a complete turnaround, not only finishing 19-10, but leading the Falcons to a 13-1 record in league to earn Tribune Coach of the Year honors. The Falcons also swept Mesa Grande Academy in the first-round of the CIF-SS divisional playoffs before losing to Vistamar in the second-round.

loryncarterNEWCOMER OF THE YEAR: LORYN CARTER, St. Lucy’s, So.
The sophomore made the varsity as a freshman, but she certainly spread her wings this season as a core part of the Regents’ Sierra League title team. With three experienced seniors on St. Lucy’s headed to college on Division 1 scholarships, Carter showed why she’s the future, earning Sierra League first team honors, finishing with 263 digs and 44 blocks.

FIRST TEAM
VERONICA LA PIERRE, St. Lucy’s, Sr.
veronicalapierreThe Sierra League first-team selection signed her national letter of intent with Portland State in November and played a huge role on the Regents’ co-league championship team. “Ron is our go to offensive weapon,” St. Lucy’s coach Sean Douglas said. “She’s the most versatile offensive player I ever coached. Our program wouldn’t be where it is today without her.” La Pierre finished with a team-best 313 kills, 211 digs

MARISA ROJO, Los Altos, Sr.
marisarojoThe senior outside hitter did everything for the Hacienda League champion Conquerors, earning the league MVP after being named to the first team the two previous years. The 5-foot-10 Rojo is a major player who recently signed a national letter of intent with San Francisco State. The Conquerors finished 11-1 in league behind Rojo, who finished with a team-best 310 kills, 34 blocks, 228 digs and 33 aces.

HANNAH DOONAN, San Dimas, Jr.
hannahdoonanThe junior has accomplished plenty already after leading the Saints to their fifth straight Valle Vista league title and earning the league’s most valuable player award. Doonan also was named to the Valle Vista league first team as a freshman and sophomore. She’s well regarded on the club circuit and should have plenty of offers for the next level.

SARAH BRUCHET, St. Lucy’s, Sr.
sarahbruchetThe Regents’ libero was spectacular her senior season, finishing with 321 digs and 20 aces for the Sierra League champions. Bruchet, named to the Sierra League first team, will continue at the next level, signing a letter of intent to compete at UC Riverside. She was one of three regents to earn scholarships in volleyball.

KATHY MCKIERNAN, Duarte, Jr
kathymckiernanThe versatile outside hitter/middle blocker did everything in helping the Falcons to their first Montview League title since 2006, earning league MVP honors after a 13-1 record in league after finishing fourth a year ago. McKiernan’s final numbers were impressive, finishing with 299 kills, 14 blocks, 94 digs and 50 aces.

MEGAN CHUNG, Diamond Bar, Sr.
meganchungThe 5-foot-3 sparkplug and libero was the key to the Brahmas’ 18-8 overall record and second-place finish in the Hacienda League. Chung earned Hacienda League first-team honors for the second straight season. Chung finished the with 165 digs, 25 aces and was among the team leader in just about every offensive category for the Brahmas.

ANDREA SANCHEZ, South El Monte, Sr.
andreasanchezNot many players earn league player of the year awards while on a fourth-place team, but that’s exactly what South El Monte’s Sanchez accomplished by earning Mission Valley League MVP honors for the fourth-place Eagles. Sanchez, a four-year varsity player, was named to the MVL first-team twice, is a two-time team MVP and led the Eagles in almost every category, leading the team in kills, blocks and aces.

SECOND TEAM
Tia Hernandez, Diamond Bar, Sr.
Jordan Midyette, Los Altos, Sr.
Genessee Tate, West Covina, Sr.
Madison Hoff, Walnut, Sr.
Becca Lowden, Glendora, Jr.
Courtney Lengyel, Diamond Ranch, Sr.
Jacqueline Cabral, Nogales, Sr.
Oliva Rioseco, Bonita, Sr.

THIRD TEAM
Katelyn Winieki, San Dimas, Sr.
Christa Letourneau, Glendora, Sr.
Alisa McKissick, South Hills, Sr.
Stephanie Morioka, South Hills, Sr.
Juliet McClure, St. Lucy’s, Jr.
Paula Alferez, El Monte, Sr.
Tiyana Watkins, El Monte, Sr.
Sally La, Rosemead, Sr.

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