CHICAGO (January 13, 2023) — In its 38th year of honoring the nation’s best high school athletes, Gatorade today announced Neomi Beach of Hamilton High School is the 2022-23 Gatorade Arizona Volleyball Player of the Year. Beach is the second Gatorade Arizona Volleyball Player of the Year to be chosen from Hamilton High School.

The award, which recognizes not only outstanding athletic excellence, but also high standards of academic achievement and exemplary character demonstrated on and off the court, distinguishes Beach as Arizona’s best high school volleyball player. Now a finalist for the prestigious Gatorade National Volleyball Player of the Year award to be announced in January, Beach joins an elite alumni association of state award-winners, including Lexi Sun (2016-17, Santa Fe Christian School, Calif.), Jordan Larson (2004-05, Logan View High School, Neb.), Foluke Akinradewo (2004-05, St. Thomas High School, Fla.) and April Ross (1999-00, Newport Harbor High School, Calif.).

The 6-foot senior outside hitter amassed 673 kills and 352 digs this past season, leading the Huskies (34-8) to the Conference 6A state championship match. Beach also recorded 65 service aces and 37 blocks while posting a .433 kill percentage and a .336 hitting percentage. The Conference 6A Player of the Year, Beach is ranked as the nation’s No. 74 recruit in the Class of 2023 by PrepDig.com. She concluded her prep volleyball career with 972 kills.

A member of the Hamilton High School Black Student Union, Beach has volunteered locally with Afro Scouts, which inspires children of African descent to cultivate development, leadership and socialization. She has also donated her time as a youth volleyball coach. “For a team that lost so much from the previous year [to graduation], Neomi took on the challenge and almost carried them to a third straight state championship,” said Chris Brown, head coach of Liberty High School. “Her ability to produce offensively from anywhere on the court is unrivaled. You have to be conscious of where she is on the court at all times.”

Beach has maintained a weighted 3.39 GPA in the classroom. She has signed a National Letter of Intent to play volleyball on scholarship at the University of San Diego this fall.

The Gatorade Player of the Year program annually recognizes one winner in the District of Columbia and each of the 50 states that sanction high school football, girls volleyball, boys and girls cross country, boys and girls basketball, boys and girls soccer, baseball, softball, and boys and girls track & field, and awards one National Player of the Year in each sport. The selection process is administered by the Gatorade Player of the Year Selection Committee, which leverages experts including coaches, scouts, media and others as sources to help evaluate and determine the state winners in each sport.

Beach joins recent Gatorade Arizona Volleyball Players of the Year Jordan Middleton (2021-22 & 2020-21, Hamilton High School), Jaelyn Hodge (2019-20, Basha High School), and Shannon Shields (2018-19, Xavier College Preparatory), among the state’s list of former award winners.

Being a Gatorade Player of the Year means paying it forward for the next generation. Through Gatorade’s Play it Forward initiative, every Player of the Year receives a grant to give to one of Gatorade’s social impact partners, supporting Gatorade’s ambition to fuel the future of sport. To date, Gatorade Player of the Year winners’ grants have totaled more than $3.5 million across more than 1,300 organizations.

For nearly 40 years, Gatorade has honored high school athletes at the top of their game as teammates, supporting their communities and achieving academic success. From CEOs and coaches to star athletes and community leaders, Gatorade Player of the Year winners showcase the power of sport.

To learn more about the Gatorade Player of the Year program, check out past winners or to nominate studentathletes, visit playeroftheyear.gatorade.com or follow us on social media on Facebook at facebook.com/GatoradePOY, Instagram at instagram.com/Gatorade and Twitter at twitter.com/Gatorade.