It’s not unusual for individuals from a team that won a state championship to receive significant postseason accolades.
So it went for the Bishop O’Connell Knights girls high-school volleyball team, which won this fall’s Division I private-school state crown. Five players from that squad recently were chosen to all-state teams.
Macie Murray was selected as the Division I Player of the Year along with making first team. Teadora Stamenkovic, Avery Prendergast and Jocelyn Pye were other first-team selections. Hannah Kotb made second team.
Longtime Knights head coach Mehdi El Alaoui was the Coach of the Year, leading the Knights to a 28-4-2 overall record, including a 3-0 mark in the state tournament.
O’Connell was the top seed in the state tournament, defeating No. 3 seed and defending champion Flint Hill, 3-2, in the title match.
Prior to the state tournament, O’Connell won the Washington Catholic Athletic Conference tournament. The team won its final 10 matches.
Murray, a sophomore hitter, had 490 kills, 210 digs and 71 aces this season. Prendergast, a senior setter, led the Knights with 930 assists to go with 156 digs and 70 aces. Pye, a senior hitter, had 249 kills, 154 digs and 46 aces. Stamenkovic, a junior hitter, had 202 kills. Kotb, a senior libero, had 301 digs and 47 aces.
In the state-title match, Murray had 19 kills, Pye 13 and Stamenkovic 12 to go with six blocks. Prendergast had 54 assists. Junior Ellyson Miller had 10 kills.
In O’Connell’s win in its conference-tournament championship match, Murray had 25 kills and four aces.
