The Elite 11: Who are Southwest Florida's volleyball players to watch this season?
Bumping, setting, and spiking are finally back in Southwest Florida.
With volleyball matches set to begin next week, The News-Press and Naples Daily News compiled a list of the area's top volleyball players to watch in 2023, called the Elite 11. The selections were determined by past performance and the expectation of what is to come on the court over the next few months.
And coming off a historic 2022 season, the area has plenty to be excited about. Seacrest Country Day will go for a coveted three-peat in Class 2A, while Barron Collier may have put together the team to win it all in Class 5A. Canterbury is always a team to watch in 3A. Can the Cougars put things together to make a run?
With that in mind, here are the 11 players to make our third annual volleyball players to watch list in Lee and Collier counties. We have also added The Next 11, which is the next wave of players that could make their mark as well.
Alexa Haley
School: Seacrest Country Day
Year: Junior
Highlights: The area's top returning libero, which is being recruited by multiple Power Five programs, will look to be one of four Seacrest standouts seeking to go for a coveted state title three-peat come November. Haley finished with 613 digs last season, ranking seventh statewide. As a sophomore, the Naples Daily News All-Area First Team selection added 45 aces and 446 serve receptions, along with 54 assists for the Stingrays, with a good chance she matches or surpasses that total in 2023.
Madison Hammermeister
School: Canterbury
Year: Senior
Highlights: Hammermeister's impact in the Canterbury system was immediate a season ago, and don't expect anything less this season. Hammermeister posted 176 kills, adding 101 digs, 21 blocks, and 20 aces to help Canterbury finish 14-6 on the year. The outside hitter is committed to North Florida in the ASUN Conference. Hammermeister will be a likely contender to lead Lee County in kills this season.
Aaliyah Harlow
School: Canterbury
Year: Junior
Highlights: Shifting from setter to libero this season, Harlow will be a key cog for the Cougars. With Chandler Swanson assuming libero duties in 2022, Harlow thrived in Canterbury's 6-2 rotation at setter, registering a team-high 276 assists, as well as 93 digs and 18 aces. As a sophomore, Harlow was a News-Press All-Area Second Team selection.
Aisha Keric
School: Barron Collier
Year: Senior
Highlights: The big transfer of the offseason was Keric, who went from Gulf Coast over to rival Barron Collier, making for an interesting homecoming on Sept. 21 when the two teams face in the Shark Tank. As a junior, Keric was a Southwest Florida Volleyball Player of the Year finalist after posting 258 kills, 410 assists, 153 digs, 30 blocks, 31 aces, and a team-high .276 hitting percentage. Keric is currently committed to Coastal Carolina.
Sofia Locadia
School: Barron Collier
Year: Junior
Highlights: Entering her junior season, Locadia has yet to log time in a varsity game, making her an interesting player to have on the radar this season. However, Locadia shined on the club circuit on multiple occasions earlier this year, putting her in solid position to assume the reins at middle blocker. She’ll be replacing Scarlett Martz, who signed with Gardner-Webb.
Kendra Pruitt
School: Barron Collier
Year: Senior
Highlights: Pruitt has been a constant wherever she's played, and there's nothing suggesting this year will be any different. She enters this season 232 kills away from 1,000 for her career, coming off a season in which she posted 238 kills, 206 digs, 33 aces, and 28 blocks for the Cougars during their state runner-up finish in 2022.
Sami Soderlund
School: Seacrest Country Day
Year: Junior
Highlights: Another player poised to take a quantum leap in 2023, Soderlund will play an even larger role in the Seacrest attack following the graduations of Breanah Rives, the state's all-time kills leader, and middle blocker Carole Ann Hussey. Soderlund ended the 2022 season with 156 kills and 45 blocks for Seacrest, and is set to likely top both totals come the 2023 campaign.
Brooke Spurgeon
School: Seacrest Country Day
Year: Senior
Highlights: Spurgeon could arguably be the area's most versatile player. Her 178 kills were second on the team, while she led the way with 73 aces. The Nova Southeastern commit added 302 digs and 245 serve receptions, both of which ranked second on the team, along with 37 blocks, which ranked third. Spurgeon's ability to be a true six-rotation player makes her valuable in Seacrest's quest for back-to-back-to-back state titles.
Zara Stewart
School: First Baptist
Year: Junior
Highlights: No one in the area may have a better volleyball IQ than Stewart, who has received praise from multiple area coaches as being Southwest Florida's top player. In just 17 games for First Baptist last season, Stewart led the team in kills (110), aces (47), digs (158), and assists (300). Stewart was a near-consensus Naples Daily News All-Area First Team selection a year ago and will be the alpha on the First Baptist roster. Stewart committed to Grand Canyon to play beach volleyball on Tuesday.
Ava Zehnder
School: Barron Collier
Year: Senior
Highlights: Missing the first 10 games of the season due to injury didn't prevent Zehnder from making the Naples Daily News All-Area First Team in 2022. As the setter, she led Barron Collier with 330 assists, while adding 98 digs, 37 kills, and 28 aces to help Barron get to the Class 5A title game. Zehnder will enter her senior season with a host of hitters to work with, setting her up well for one final season in a Barron uniform.
Olivia Znotens
School: Riverdale
Year: Sophomore
Highlights: After leading Lee County with 230 kills a season ago, Znotens will look to build off of that following the graduation of multiple key players in the Riverdale system. As a freshman, Znotens added 139 digs, 34 aces, and a .322 hitting percentage, helping Riverdale to a 14-5 record. Znotens will likely be up against fellow Elite 11 member Madison Hammermeister for the kills lead in Lee County in 2023.
The Next 11
Kate Drasba, Gulf Coast
Gabby Dwyer, Fort Myers
Adriana Garcia, Seacrest Country Day
Ashley Giraldo, Barron Collier
Sofia King, Estero
Milena Lopez, Seacrest Country Day
Kelly McAuley, Community School
Charlotte Mongin, Barron Collier
Gia Rosencrans, Estero
Brighten Sedmack, Canterbury
Ashlee Tenkley, Fort Myers
Follow Southwest Florida Sports Writer Alex Martin on Twitter: @NP_AlexMartin. For the best sports coverage in Southwest Florida, follow @newspresssports and @ndnprepzone on Instagram.
This article originally appeared on Naples Daily News: The Elite 11: Southwest Florida's volleyball players to watch in 2023
