Tampa Bay Times’ all-Hillsborough County volleyball teams

Player of the Year: Sidney Brown, Sr., OH, Berkeley Prep
Why we picked her: Brown, last year’s Tampa Bay Times’ Hillsborough County and All-Suncoast Player of the Year, did more than enough in her third season with Berkeley Prep to earn the honors again. Brown, a 5-foot-11 outside hitter, led the Bucs in kills a second straight season, recording 446, a hitting percentage of .384 and adding 37 service aces and 28 blocks. Brown finished her Berkeley Prep career with 1,242 kills. The second-team Under Armour All-America selection helped the Bucs make the state final four all three years, leading them to a championship in 2011, state runnerup in 2012 and the state semifinal berth this season.
Proudest accomplishment: After 28 seasons and 15 state titles, Berkeley Prep coach Randy Dagostino retired after the 2011 season. This year was coach John Coup’s second at Berkeley Prep, but continuing to adjust to a new coaching staff without former Bucs hot shots Mackenzie Dagostino and Jordan Burgess has been challenging at times, Brown said. Her team’s ability to unite in what some would call a “down year” for the Bucs stuck out to Brown. “I was really proud of how the girls integrated with us and really played roles,” she said, “taking it into our hands instead of relying on the history of all of it.”
Future plans: On Nov. 13, Brown signed to play volleyball at Stanford, where she’ll join best friend, former Berkeley Prep outside hitter and 2011-12 Gatorade National Volleyball Player of the Year Burgess. Brown said she also considered Michigan and UNC, but ultimately committing to Stanford was fulfilling a childhood dream. “Stanford was always that one that if I didn’t get to go, it would have been something I would have been upset about for my whole life,” she said.
Did you know? Brown is still a semester away from graduating high school, but she won’t be finishing at Berkeley Prep. In a matter of days, Brown will move to San Diego with her mother so she can spend the spring training with Wave Volleyball Club, a program Brown hopes will help her prepare for playing in college. Brown will attend school in San Diego while she plays and return to Tampa briefly this summer before returning to California to attend Stanford.

First team
S Maddie Alberdi, Sr., Berkeley Prep: Finished with 1,029 assists, an average of 12.3 per set, while adding 22 service aces, 21 blocks and 159 digs.
OH Avery Bradshaw, Jr., Steinbrenner: Had a team-high 297 kills and added 189 digs and 36 blocks, both second-best totals for the Warriors.
MB Terra Brooks, So., Strawberry Crest: Led Strawberry Crest with 238 kills — 119 more than the next best Charger — while recording a team-high 56 blocks.
MB Lauren Heldt, Jr., Steinbrenner: Had 181 kills, third-best on a team that made its first state semifinal, and 97 blocks, almost three times as many as any other Warrior.
OH Corey Perkins, Jr., Tampa Prep: Delaware commit led Terps with 333 kills while recording a .353 hitting percentage. She stepped up in big wins against Berkeley Prep, Holy Names, and three against Bishop McLaughlin.
OH Karissa Rhoades, Jr., Bloomingdale: Led Hillsborough County in kills, recording 457 with a .327 hitting percentage. Rhoades averaged nearly five kills per game and added team highs in service aces (65), blocks (42) and digs (288).
OH Lexi Thompson, Sr., Durant: Ole Miss commit set a school record with 263 kills and fueled the Cougars through a 26-0 season before they fell to Steinbrenner in the second round of the playoffs.
OH Victoria Trueheart, Jr., Tampa Bay HEAT: Had 370 kills, 64 aces and 26 blocks while leading her team to a region final.

Second team
MB Noelle Dietrich, Jr., Plant City
S Kylee Gorngpratum, Sr., Robinson
MB Addison Harden, Sr., Berkeley Prep
L Brooke Royals, Jr., Steinbrenner
OH Aisling Sheehan, Jr., Carrollwood Day
OH Kaitlyn Sibson, Sr., Plant
OH Courtney Vogler, Jr., Academy of the Holy Names
OH Logan Weldon, Sr., Berkeley Prep

Honorable mention
Academy of the Holy Names: Becca Prossen; Bayshore Christian: Marie Kelly; Berkeley Prep: Maddie Raquet; Bloomingdale: Emily Doyle, Chelsea Chavers, Haley Neil; Cambridge Christian: Lauren Steinle; Carrollwood Day: Casey Brunjolfsson; Durant: Victoria Fanning, Annie Quinn; East Bay: Lauren Howell; King: Michayla Williams, Arielle Allen; Newsome: Toree Dumas, Madison Whiting; Plant: MC Shival, Ansley Gould; Plant City: Alex Arnold, Emily Fry; Riverview: Shelby Akos; Robinson: Lauren Peterson, Catia Sleet; Sickles: Lauryn Nelson, Sydney Tommie; Steinbrenner: Rachel Mathison, Madison Powell; Strawberry Crest: Alex Calescibetta; Tampa Bay HEAT: Rachel Tierney; Tampa Catholic: Sydney Blank; Tampa Prep: Ariana Mosley, Alana Nelson, Rachel Carr, Claire Blumenthal; Wharton: Kathryn Attar, Avery Day, Chanelle Hargreaves

Coach of the Year
Laura Stegenga, Steinbrenner. In just their fifth year as a program, the Warriors made their first Class 7A state semifinal appearance before falling to Gulf Coast. The Warriors, who have won a district title in each of their five seasons, toppled an undefeated Durant team and won their region final 3-0 against Lake Nona on the way to the final four.