Best On The Block

LAKE PLACID -- Kristen Massung doesn't mince words when describing how far she's come on the volleyball court.

Looking back at her game three years ago, when she first seriously committed to volleyball, the Lake Placid senior is rather blunt in her assessment.

"When I first started, I wasn't that good," said Massung, whose powerful hits and uncanny ability to block led the Green Dragons to their third straight district title this season. "But I got a lot better."

No arguments here.

For her quiet leadership and game-changing presence on defense, Massung was a unanimous choice as the Highlands Today's volleyball player of the year.

"I don't think I heard Kristen say 30 words all year," said Lake Placid volleyball coach Marilyn Jones. "She was very quiet about doing her job. She wasn't loud and boisterous, she was a very good listener."

Turns out, what Massung heard most often was the roar of the Lake Placid crowd. She was her team's co-leader in kills with 189 and accumulated a staggering 98 blocks on the season -- more than half her team's total.

Massung said being a good blocker is counterintuitive -- it takes keeping an eye on your opponent, rather than the ball.

"You have to watch everyone on the court," she said. "After a while, you can pick up what they're doing."

Massung noted the highlight of her season was two-fold: Dual wins over rival Sebring that hadn't ever happened for a Green Dragon squad.

Not surprisingly, her opponents took notice of her play.

"Kristen always had great timing," said Sebring coach Venessa Sinness. "That's a big part of any block -- she was able to move from left to right and get into position.

"I was very impressed with her this year -- she's improved a lot over the past two years."

Jones said she'll miss Massung next season, not just on the blocks, but as an example for her younger players.

"She may not have a lot to say, but her success is a credit to all the work she put in," Jones said. "She did a lot of that work on her own. And that's what good leadership is all about."

The Team

* Hannah Shoop, junior, Sebring -- She may play like she's 6-foot-4, but ask Sebring coach Vanessa Sinness, and she'll tell you, Hannah Shoop is only 5-11.

Swear.

"It's not like she's a giant," Sinness said. "But there's something about her.

"It's her rapport on the court -- she knows who she is. You look at her in every sport she plays, and she just knows how to carry herself."

Shoop was an offensive force for the Streaks this year, leading them in kills as the team's most dominant hitter.

* Daija Barrett, junior, Avon Park -- It's tough to pinpoint the best part of Daija Barrett's game. Her booming hits and rally-killing blocks kept the Red Devils in many games this season.

But ask AP coach Christy Hipps, and she'll tell you what makes Barrett special.

"Her focus and intensity was the main consistent of our season," Hipps said. "She always came out with dedication, and that's what I love about her."

* Sierra Weaver, sophomore, Lake Placid -- Over the summer, Sierra Weaver named to the all-camp team at the University of Florida volleyball camp.

Come fall, she took that confidence back to Lake Placid, where she was the co-leader in kills (182) and proved a dominant one-two punch along with Kristen Massung for the Dragons.

"She just decided at the beginning of the year that she wasn't going to wait," said LP coach Marilyn Jones. "She's her own biggest critic, and she's really hard on herself. But she also sets herself a high standard, and she lived up to it this year."

* Ashley Walden, junior, Sebring -- The Blue Streaks' team MVP and second-year starter, Walden's aggressiveness became her signature this year.

And it wasn't just toward the opposition.

"Ashley's going to tell you how it is," said Sebring coach Venessa Sinness. "The best setters know what everyone else's role on the floor is. She knows where they're going and what they're supposed to do. And she's not afraid to say something when they don't to their job."

A JV hitter last year, Walden bloomed into her role as setter, and will be a strong aspect of Sebring's attack next year.

* Jen Walden, senior, Sebring -- A player with diverse talents, Jen Walden moved from left-sided hitter to libero this season, a transition that isn't always easy.

"She was mentally strong enough to know she wasn't being demoted," Sinness said. "Jen realized how important her role was, and we wouldn't have won as many games as we did without her."

One of the highlights of Sebring's season was a 25-0 shutout victory in which Walden recorded 13 aces, a team record. She finished the match with school-record 17 aces.

"That's a record she'll probably hold for a long time," Sinness said. "If not forever."

* Missy Lander, senior, Avon Park -- One of the Red Devils' go-to attackers, Lander brought her game to a whole new level in 2007 -- on both sides of the net.

"Missy was always the one who got behind the balls we needed most," said Avon Park coach Christy Hipps. "She stood out with her kills, but I was most impressed by her defense. She moved to get any ball, and from beginning to end, it didn't matter what game situation was, she was there to do what she needed to do."

* Tiffany Bisbey, junior, Lake Placid -- Bisbey built a reputation as one of the hardest hitters around this season, finishing the 2007 campaign with 122 kills and a team-high 54 aces.

"If she ever hit one, and really connected, you knew it was going to leave a mark on the floor or someone along the way," said LP coach Marilyn Jones. "She hit hard all year long, and when she was on, you could set her all night."

Jones thought about using Bisbey as a setter, but it turned out her hitting was too valuable.

"As well as she hit, she would go after the ball like a freight train," Jones said.

* Melissa Tulo, junior, Avon Park -- A defensive specialist who mixed in timely kills and a booming serve, Tulo was made her mark this year for the Red Devils.

"We used Melissa on defense most of the time, but she got some key kills for us," said AP coach Christy Hipps. "She was a big asset for the team this year."

* Brittany Baldwin, junior, Lake Placid -- A back-up setter last year, Baldwin stepped into a starting role this year and thrived, leading the Green Dragons with 563 assists.

"This is the first year Brittany got a real chance to play," said LP coach Marilyn Jones. "She back-set balls I didn't think she could get close to. She's a real hustler."

Coach Of The Year

For leading her team to a third-straight Class 3A-District 10 title and, for the first time, two wins over rival Sebring, Lake Placid's Marilyn Jones is our choice as Highlands Today volleyball coach of the year.