Seven Warriors earn volleyball all-league recognition

Seven members of Fallbrook High School's girls volleyball team were given all-league recognition by the Valley League coaches.

Ellen Allison was named to the Valley League first team. The second team included Emma Christopherson and Chyna Southwell. Morgan Alexander, Mary Ellyn Brown, Mary Kressin, and Madison McCarty were recognized at the honorable mention level.

"That was a great thing," said Fallbrook coach Chip Patterson. "These girls did an outstanding job to get where they are."

The three Fallbrook players on the first team and second team were the most since the Warriors had three Avocado East League first-team selections in 2011. "In the past we'd only get one or two," Patterson said.

In 2011, when Peter Peng coached the Fallbrook varsity, no Warriors were chosen for that year's second team and the Avocado East League did not have honorable mention selections. Two Warriors were named to the 2012 Avocado West League first team, although no Fallbrook players received second-team or honorable mention recognition that year. Robin Reese coached Fallbrook in 2012 and in 2013, when the Avocado West League selections included one first-team, one second-team, and three honorable mention Warrior players.

Patterson took over as Fallbrook's coach in 2014; last year Allison and Southwell were honorable mention Valley League players although the Warriors had no first-team or second-team selections.

Fallbrook's 11-11 overall record in 2014 included a 6-4 Valley League mark which placed third in the standings behind Ramona's 10-0 figure and the 8-2 mark Mission Vista compiled. This year Ramona won the league title with a 9-1 performance, Mission Vista once again posted an 8-2 record for second place, and the Warriors earned third place with a 7-3 win-loss statistic. Fallbrook was the only team other than Mission Vista to win a set against Ramona in league play during 2015. The Warriors did not earn a berth in the 2014 CIF playoffs but were seeded 12th among Division II teams this year; a four-game loss to fifth-seeded Otay Ranch in the first round finalized Fallbrook's overall record at 17-13.

The league matches earned the Fallbrook players the notice of the league coaches who select the all-league honors. "A lot of coaches were speaking on my players' behalf," Patterson said.

The libero is a situational player and is considered a starter as are two outside hitters, two middle blockers, the right side hitter, and the setter. Although the libero has gained the status of the seventh starter, the first team and second team only had six players apiece. Although only three Fallbrook players earned first-team or second-team recognition, the coaches recognized four others at the honorable mention level. "That was good," Patterson said.

Two of those honorable mention selections, Brown and McCarty, are freshmen. "I was shocked that they were honorable mention," Patterson said.

"This year they were pretty dominant over a lot of the other players who are seniors," Patterson said. "The team will be solid for the next three years."

Allison and Kressin were the only two Fallbrook seniors who received all-league distinction. Alexander and Southwell are juniors and Christopherson is a sophomore.

Allison was Fallbrook's libero, Christopherson and Brown are middle blockers, Southwell is the Warriors' setter, Kressin played right side hitter, Alexander is an outside hitter, and McCarty began her high school career as a defensive specialist.

Allison led the team with 456 digs and also had 27 assists, 56 serving aces, and ten kills. "It's an honor that she truly deserved," Patterson said of Allison's first-team selection.

Ramona's libero, senior Sydney Hickle, was also on the first team. Patterson noted that at the league meeting Ramona coach Connie Halfaker let the other coaches know that she told her girls to keep the ball away from the Fallbrook libero.

"She does well all the time," Patterson said of Allison.

Patterson acknowledged somewhat of a performance decline when Allison was battling an early-season arm injury. "She toughed it out and she played through it and she played extremely well," he said. "I think she really picked it up at the tail end."

Allison's 56 aces in 281 serves gave her a team-leading 19.9 percent ace ratio. "She outserved most people," Patterson said.

Christopherson had 181 kills, 23 aces, 50 digs, and seven assists. She had 62 solo blocks and 14 assisted blocks for a total of 76.

Southwell set for 379 assists. Her statistics also included 53 aces, 51 kills, 14 solo blocks, and seven assisted blocks.

Alexander was the Warriors' kill leader with 197 and also contributed 208 digs, 31 aces, 12 assists, seven solo blocks, and eight assisted blocks.

Brown had 91 solo blocks and 27 assisted blocks to lead the team with a total of 118 blocks. She also had 141 kills, 18 digs, 11 assists, and one serving ace.

Kressin had 118 kills, 36 solo blocks and 20 assisted blocks for a total of 56, 36 assists, 22 digs, and four aces.

McCarty served a team-leading 74 aces and added 157 digs, 21 kills, six assists, two solo blocks, and three assisted blocks.

"I'm just very proud of them and I see them going into the future doing great things," Patterson said.