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Sarah Sponcil selected as Gatorade volleyball player of year for Arizona

December 12, 2012 by MaxPreps, AZPreps365


File photo by Mark Jones

Veritas Prep junior Sarah Sponcil (2) was selected as the Arizona volleyball player of the year by Gatorade.


There was little that Sarah Sponcil did not do on the volleyball court this season.

In guiding Veritas Prep (Phoenix) to the Division V state title, Sponcil led the team in kills, aces, blocks and assists. Her well-rounded effort was rewarded Wednesday when she was selected the Arizona player of the year by Gatorade.

The 5-foot-10 junior is the first Falcons player to win the award, and she is now eligible for national player of the year honors.

"Sarah Sponcil is the best player I've seen in my 11 years of coaching," Arizona Lutheran Academy (Phoenix) coach Brad Bode said in the annoucement release. "She is also the smartest player I've seen and she is able to elevate everyone else's play around her. She gets the ball to whomever she needs to get it to. She could start for any team in the state."

As a setter and outside hitter, Sponcil posted some serious numbers. She totaled team bests in kills (438), assists (530), blocks (39) and service aces (69), in addition to 220 digs. Sponcil was never better than in the championship game against Valley Lutheran (Phoenix), posting 25 assists, 18 digs and 15 kills in the victory.

Bianca Arellano of Xavier College Prep (Phoenix) won the Gatorade state award last season.