Versatile Beyer High volleyball player named Modesto Metro's Most Valuable Player
Beyer High outside hitter Cathryn Starck is the Most Valuable Player in the Modesto Metro Conference.
Starck was one of the Stanislaus District's top all-around players, finishing near the top of the conference in hitting percentage, hills, aces and digs.
The senior's prowess and versatility, even on a team that finished tied for second, was enough to sway the MMC's coaches, who voted on the season-ending awards.
Starck ranked in the top-3 in conference in hitting (.340, third), kills (360, third), aces (101, second) and digs (325, third) as the Patriots qualified for the Sac-Joaquin Section Division III playoffs, sweeping Oakdale in the first round.
Beyer's Tony Silva was the Coach of the Year.
Starck was joined on the all-MMC first team by teammate Olivia Keller, a dynamic freshman. Keller led the section in hitting percentage (.464) and was third in kills with a Stanislaus District-best 520.
Champion Gregori landed two players on the first team: setter Alyssa Bartlett, who led the conference in assists with 893; and outside hitter Emily Joseph, who was second in the MMC in kills with 378. The Jaguars won the conference title for the seventh time in the eight seasons, despite changing coaches late in the summer.
John Bartlett, Alyssa's father and the Riverbank High athletic director, was named the coach. He steered Gregori to a 30-win season, including 12-0 in conference, and a second round appearance in the Division I playoffs.
Modesto also had two players named to the first team. Juniors Tori Galloway and Alyssa Cover earned top honors for the Panthers, who finished tied for second in the MMC and lost to eventual D-I champion Turlock in the opening round of the playoffs. Galloway was Modesto's top hitter with 350 kills, while Cover led the team in aces (148), digs (369) and assists (741).
Johansen and Enochs each had one player named to the all-conference first team.
The Vikings' Destiny Anderson had 149 kills, 113 assists and 54 blocks, while the Eagles' Vanessa Quevedo was sixth in the league in kills (194) and blocks (52). She also had 173 digs.
Members of the second team included: Beyer's Camryn Wong (libero) and Emily Garcia-Cropper; Gregori's Mara Semone and Bianca Dowlett; Modesto's Hannah Scott; Enochs' Riley Gary; and Davis' Hanna Hogsett.
Earning an honorable mention were: Modesto's Elizabeth Liddle; Enochs' Elyssa Gonzales; Beyer's Emma Gonzalez; Downey's Abby Van Diepen; Gregori's Shelby Grover; Davis' Aaliya Langford; and Johansen's Koleka Felt.
This story was originally published December 13, 2017 at 11:13 AM with the headline "Versatile Beyer High volleyball player named Modesto Metro's Most Valuable Player."